


Rowaelin Hogwarts AU

by RowaelinFeyrhys



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hogwarts, Hogwarts AU, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2018-08-23 09:33:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 36,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8322817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RowaelinFeyrhys/pseuds/RowaelinFeyrhys
Summary: BASICALLY A HOGWARTS AU Just a place for me to post random Rowaelin one shots.





	1. Hogwarts AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I EDITED this, bc I wanted to... if I remember I will probably edit a lot of my chapters.  
> INSPIRED BY THIS TUMBLR AU THING

Cheers drowned the crunch of grass under their feet. Aelin was damned if Gryffindor was going to lose to Slytherin. After this, beating Hufflepuff would be easy- she could almost feel the weight of the Quidditch cup in her hands. The whistle blew and she launched off the grass, zipping towards the already sinking Quaffle. A swoosh behind as a player took flight told her Aedion was trailing her. 

She ignored him, focusing on the red ball. Below the ball there was a flash of green on a broom. it only slowed to wrap its pointed hand around the Quaffle, allowing Aelin to catch a glimpse of Manon Blackbeak's sneering face. The sick smile didn't last long, Manon hurled the ball to the other side of the field, giving Aelin the chance to dart forward and intersect it. She grasped the ball in one hand, clenching her teeth as she hurled her broom towards the Slytherin goal posts. 

Then Aelin rammed into leather and flesh. 

A gasp rumbled through the crowd. 

The player she had hit crumbled and they began to fall, Aelin's only free hand shot out and clutched the green hood. She yanked them up to see Elide Lochan- Aelin almost felt bad about running into the sweet girl, but if Elide had been darting for the Snitch it was worth it. She brushed her off, gripping the Quaffle under her arm and launched herself at the goal posts. A Bludger howled as it came at her, feet away, Aedion appeared. Holding the bat with one arm, he knocked it towards the sky. Aedion grinned at her from under his mess of golden hair. She grinned back, before tossing the Quaffle to Ansel on the other side of the court. The Slytherin Keeper's head followed the ball, his broom drifting to the far right post. Aelin swooped closer. Her cousin bursted to center field, firing a rogue Bludger in the Keeper's direction, making him drop several feet to avoid it. The Quaffle was returned to her. She flung the ball at the largest post. There was a flash of movement and then Keeper was there. He spun in the air, barely reaching the ball in time to kick it at Manon. 

Aelin cursed under her breath, it had been an open shot. 

The Keeper hoisted himself back onto his broom, "You're going to have to do better than that Galathynius." 

Aelin stiffened, she hadn't thought he knew her last name- only that she was Aedion's cousin, "Go to hell, Whitethorn."

o-0-o

Aedion shifted his grip on his broom, "Damn, I hate Rowan."

Aelin nodded and shrugged, "He's skilled though." 

"Not good enough." Her cousin growled. " I'm better." 

She huffed a laugh, looking at him from the corners of her eyes, "Not as Keeper."

His eyes narrowed as they drifted to her, "Maybe. But in everything else, I'm the superior." 

"Didn't he get better O-levels than you?" 

"Yes," Aedion pursed his lips and looked away, "but I've done better than him in other years." 

The moment of silence was filled with a rush of wind, the Slytherin chasers were in their brutal flying formation. Faline moved to the right and Aelin darted between her and  
Manon- The chaser didn't see her in time to halt her pass, throwing it directly to Aelin.  
Ansel was on the in midfield left, she tossed the ball over the chasers' heads. She didn't need to look to know Ansel caught it.

Aedion stopped beside her, "Plus- socially, I am also Rowan's superior."

Aelin rolled her eyes and scoffed, watching as Rowan slammed Ansel's shot away. 

"What? You don't believe me? The only person I ever see him with is Salvaterre."

"Just because you have more friends than him doesn't mean you're more popular," She said coyly. 

Her cousin's pale eyebrows shot up, "What are you implying?"

Aedion knew exactly what she was implying. Rowan was a smart, sarcastic bastard on the odd occasions he actually opened his mouth- but she had never heard anyone  
deny he was attractive, not even her cousin. And Aelin would never deny it either- not that she had ever considered anything. Aedion would murder them both.

"Your whole rivalry with him is stupid, cuz."

Aedion ignored her and clucked his tongue, "I'll have you know many would say I also win the attractiveness category." 

"Oh God." Aelin scrunched her face together, Get over yourself." 

His head shot towards her, his eyes widening in a challenge, "What? Do you disagree?" 

"I think it would be worse if I agreed, Aedion." she murmured before darting away.

o-0-o

Aedion watched Aelin closely, the last twenty minutes, even as they had been zipping across the field her eyes had been tracing _Whitethorn's_ movements. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes, her lips tugging upwards into a signature Ashryver grin. 

Aedion's eyes widened, "Aelin.." he started.

The grin still contorting her features she looked back at Rowan.

"What are you planning?"

Aelin didn't reply before darting across the field.

o-0-o

Rowan flexed his grip, the leather gloves squealing against his broom's handle. He stayed in the range of his middle post- after the trick, at the beginning of the match, the  
Gryffindors' had played he never abandoned a goal. He took care to keep one eye on _Ashryver's_ little cousin. She was the dangerous one. Wicked fast, and with Aedion constantly protecting her from Bludgers, Rowan was the only line of defense to stop her. Ashryver's cousin, Aelin, Aelin Ashryver Galathynius. He would have tested her name on his tongue if he wasn't keenly aware of the crowds dancing eyes. Rowan's attention drifted back to her, only to find her staring back. She was on the opposite end of the field, but he could swear he saw her eyes glint. Heat crept up his skin on the nape of his neck. A wild grin grew on her face before she zipped away and Rowan lost her in the rush of players.

Faline held the Quaffle in one broad hand just at her toes, it was a classic technique that allowed her to do short passes quickly and maneuver the ball away from any opposing chasers who wished to snatch it. Something red flickered against the green plane below him, Rowan shifted to find Aelin looking up at Faline from the ground. Then the girl shot straight up, pulling herself tightly to her broom. Rowan didn't think to warn Faline before Aelin whizzed passed her. When the blur cleared, the Quaffle was gone. 

_Shit._

He stood on his stirrups, readying to dart in front of any post but couldn't find Aelin. And then he glanced up. Aelin was plummeting right at him, the Quaffle held under her arm- she was falling way too close to the post for her to have a good shot- she was aiming for him. His eyes widened, in the hallways, she always walked an insufferable swagger but anyone who played Quidditch with her knew how pissed and ruthless she could get, kicking, elbowing, punching, and ramming. She had tried to score goals before by just shoving the Keeper aside and flying through the loop.

Rowan only gripped his broom tighter, refusing to move. He didn't move even when she came right at him. Her foot flinched as she activated its break, bringing her broom to a halt in front of him. He didn't know if it was his own delusion or reality, but the stadium went silent. Aelin delicately drifted towards him, until her right side was aligned with his left. He ignored the now undeniable gleam in her eyes and looked down at the Quaffle in her right arm, he was fully blocking her from scoring. He swallowed and looked up, not finding any of the anger he expected in her eyes. 

The wind made her cheeks and nose a blistering red and had whipped her hair away from her face. Rowan's eyes darted around her for signs of her intentions but her gaze never left his. Aelin's mouth twitched upwards and she leaned forward, her free hand brushing his. The pounding in his ears got louder, and then completely vanished when her lips brushed his. A low breath escaped him as they parted and Aelin pressed herself closer to him. Her eyes fluttered closed. Her teeth caught his lower lip and his eyes shut, hand darting up to pull her chin closer. Something in his gut fluttered at how soft her lips were. He slid his fingertips into the hair just above her ears. She shifted beside him and a familiar sound echoed across the field. His eyes shot open, Aelin's hand left him and she moved her lips away. He glanced at the ear to ear wicked grin on her face, he glanced down at her hands, now free from the Quaffle she had held. He twisted to see behind him, ignoring the crowd. The scoreboard read the small wooden board: 

Gryffindor Slytherin

\----10 --------0

Aelin chuckled harshly, "Was that better Rowan Whitethorn?"

Rowan's gut still felt like he was falling but he grit his teeth, "You brat."

She smiled sweetly and kissed the air in front of him before darting away. He watched her leave, his heart still thundering under his leather uniform. The butterflies  
remained in his stomach- it was the first time in a long time that any kiss had made him feel this weak, he just wished someone would punch him in the stomach- or the face, anything to cover the jittery-ness in his bones and organs.

He looked across the field for that blonde haired demon, instead, finding another. Aedion's stare was a promise of pain and suffering, made extra ominous with the lead-heavy bat he clutched in his white knuckled fist.

_Shit._ Rowan was in such deep, unending _shit._

o-0-o

After the kiss, every time Gryffindor shot they scored. Thirty more minutes in, they were guaranteed the win, still, their seeker catching the snitch didn't hurt. Before Aelin met her cheering team on the ground, she flashed a grin at the silently hovering Slytherin team, earning vulgar gestures from the Blackbeaks.  
Aelin was still grinning when her feet hit the grass, she was met with a surge of sweaty, scarlet clad bodies. Above the heads, Aedion was hanging back, glaring at Rowan who had just reached the ground with his team. Rowan turned, his eyes darting across to her, she smirked and kissed her hand, blowing it towards him. He bared his teeth at her, before following his team through the green curtains.

Once the excitement had died down and she was able to emerge from the crowd, Aedion was gone. The Gryffindors marched to the castle, some on a mission to snag food and butterbeer from the kitchens first before they returned to the common room for the celebration. Aelin would have joined them but was still in her gear and she didn't know if she could make it to the dorm with her tired bones, much less the kitchen as well. Her team mates had gone in early to change, leaving the changing room empty and bare. She stripped from the sticky leather and pulled on her Hogwarts robes. Tossing the whole mess into her bag, not bothering to clean her broom- she would do that tomorrow. There was a pound on the wooden door that led to the castle. She jumped, stuffing the last cloth in the bag and zipping it. It was probably Aedion at the door. 

She threw the bag over her shoulder, "Come in."

The door opened, revealing a tall athletic silhouette. She squinted against the harsh light from the hallway. The man was only an inch too tall to be Aedion and was made recognizable by the choppy, pale hair that was almost translucent in the light. The straps of his Quidditch gear that she had felt under his cloak were still wrapped around him. Muscled arms were crossed over his broad chest; he stepped into the room, ducking his head under the door frame. Those lips were twisted into a harsh line. 

Aelin just smiled. He took another step forward and closed the door behind him. 

Aelin crossed her arms, _"Yes?"_

"What was _that?"_ Rowan's teeth gleamed in the dim light.

Aelin sighed and leaned against the wall, "Strategy." 

His hand clenched.

Aelin closed her lips into a small smile and examined her fingernails, "It worked surprisingly well."

The silence was his only prompt to her to speak.

She let her temple rest against the cool wall so she could read his expression fully, "I knew I was good, but not that good." 

Rowan's eyes flickered to her smile, "It was unexpected."

She arched an eyebrow, rising higher when a tinge of red reached his high cheeks. 

_"You_ get kissed randomly and see how _you_ take it."

Aelin snorted and rolled her eyes, "Well I wouldn't be awestruck for the entire match- and let _every_ shot in."

"Is that so?" his eyebrows flicked upwards.

"Yes."

"Oh?" Rowan stepped closer to her, "So if I were to kiss you, right now, you would just walk away normally?" a rare grin ghosted his features.

"Yes." 

"I must warn you I've had lots of practice."

She scoffed, "Didn't seem like it. All you did was sit on your broom in awe" her smile grew, "for the entire game."

Rowan sneered and took another stride towards her, "It was unexpected."

Aelin sighed, _Sure._

Rowan stepped close enough she had to tip her head back to meet his eyes, "I assure you," he breathed, "that if I were to kiss you, _you_ would be in awe for the  
_entire night."_

Aelin moved so there was only a hairsbreadth between them. Her body buzzing for another brush of his hand on her cheek.

Rowan stooped his neck and Aelin raised herself on her toes to meet him. His breath brushed her lips, she could hear his powerful heartbeat thundering. Rowan's finger brushed over her waist, slowly, he moved closer, their brows now pressed against each other. His eyes were fixated on hers, his pupils darting around her irises in search of something. 

Rowan's lips brushed hers. Aelin moved her hands up to feel his chest, but his teeth nipped at her lip as if scolding her, a breath whooshed out of her and she braced her hands back on the wall. It wasn't the hard kiss she wanted, his lips were feather-light, taunting like this was payback. They were the same lips she had kissed an hour before but it was different when she wasn't focusing on not falling off her broom. Aelin's heart skittered, she craned her neck, parting her lips, begging for him to deepen the kiss. Rowan didn't, his fingers tightened at her waist and he drew her away, somehow managing to wink before strutting out the changing room.

_Shit._


	2. Hogwarts AU (Part 2)

Rowan woke up with a smile, that soon turned into a groan when he realized why he was happy this early in the morning: Aelin. He rolled over in his four poster bed, onto his stomach, burying his face in the pillow. Trying to erase all these thoughts of Aelin, how her lips had felt, the way her eyes glinted and her lips curled when she said something wicked, how she had arched her back against him. Oh god. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he get her out of her head? One kiss and he was her slave. What the hell was wrong with him??  
"Rowan, get up. Breakfast is almost over!", A deep rumbling voice yelled at him- Lorcan.  
He groaned and rolled out of the bed, pulling on his clothes. Rowan noticed Lorcan was staring at him, he looked up, raising his eyebrows.  
Lorcan stood with his arm crossed, his green tie askew, and a look of disbelief on his face.  
"What?" Rowan grumbled, looking away.  
Lorcan laughed, "I can't believe you made out with that girl."  
"I didn't" Rowan denied, pulling his socks on.  
"Oh please, I can't wait until Ashryver finds you and beats your ass." Lorcan said gleefully, grabbing his robe and making his way out the dorm.  
"It was a one time thing!" Rowan shouted after him.  
He faintly heard Lorcan's scoff over his footsteps.   
-  
When Rowan came up from the dungeons, and entered the Great Hall for breakfast, even though he had repeatedly told himself not to on the way up, his eyes immediately were drawn to the Gryffindor table, scouring for that blonde, with golden ringed eyes. Unfortunately he found the wrong golden ringed eyed blond. Aedion. Who was staring right at him, still livid from the night before. God, Lorcan was right, he was gonna get his ass beat. Strangely he noticed some other students were glaring at him too, not with nearly the same intensity, but Chaol from Gryffindor, that was sitting a few seats away from Aedion, and his Ravenclaw best friend, Dorian was also glaring at him from across the hall.... oh. Rowan was going to glare back at them, but he spotted Lorcan, who was waving him to the Slytherin table. He strode over, trying to ignore Aedion, whose eyes still bore into him.  
-  
Aelin waltzed into the Great Hall, fashionably late, she thought to herself. The Gryffindor table erupted into cheers, still psyched about last night's win. Well, all but one, Aedion. Ugh, she was not looking forward to that lecture. The Slytherin table, looked towards her as well, some hissing, most just grumbling and turning away. But she noticed that a pair of pine green eyes lingered long after the others had looked away. Not that she cared.  
Aedion glance sidelong at Aelin, still keeping his eyes on Rowan's back, as she slid into her seat next to his. She had considered not eating at all to postpone this conversation, but her hunger had gotten the better of her. Before Aedion could get a word in, she piled her plate up with food and began to stuff her mouth.   
"Aelin" Aedion growled, eyes still on Rowan.  
"Mhhmm?" Aelin mumbled, her mouth still filled.  
"I forbid you from ever touching him again."  
"WAHHH?" Aelin sounded, attempting to express her objection, but instead choking on her food. She fought passed it, swallowing, "WHAT?"  
"YOU FORBID ME?" She exclaimed, turning on Aedion.   
He nodded, still looking towards the Slytherin table. She waited for further reaction, a clarification, a goddamns apology, but he said nothing.   
"What the fuck?!" Aelin said, swing her legs over the bench and storming from the hall.  
Forbid her? Forbid her? Who the fuck does he think he his? Aelin didn't give a shit if he were her cousin, he had no right to forbid her. She could understand him not liking it, and telling her off. But forbidding her, like Aedion owned her???  
She snarled, making a couple of first graders, who were coming from the hall, jump and hurry out of her way. Aelin stormed through the castle, clutching her wand, trying to think of a way to get Aedion back. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care when the halls emptied as the students filed into classrooms. First period had begun. But Aelin continued pacing the halls, debating setting his ass on fire next time she saw him. Of course there was the obvious way to get back at him, make out with Rowan more. Which did sound rather appealing, she smirked to herself. It was a start.  
Even though Aelin had cooled down, she had no desire to go to class. Well, at least not until after lunch. It was the end of the year anyway, so it was just revision, she reasoned, heading down the hall to one of her favorite places. The one eyed witch statue. She had discovered this nifty little secret in second year, when she had been trying to think of an elaborate excuse for not doing the Astronomy homework. She had been tapping her wand on the statue muttering random made up diseases under her breath, when the most delightful thing had happened: the statue's hump had opened, just big enough for her to slip through. And it had lead right into Honeydukes, that was full of Aelin's favorite things: sweets.   
Aelin grinned, ear to ear, as she casually strode over to the statue. Listening for any footsteps, she leaned against the witch's head with an arm, tapping it with her wand while mumbling, "Dissendium". The statue cracked open and Aelin slipped inside.  
\-   
Rowan walked the hallways, trying not to look over his shoulder. In Potions which he had unfortunately had with the Gryffindors, he had been pelted with balls of paper by Aedion, that included such lovely messages as:  
You. Me. Midnight. Trophy Room. Fists or Wands, Your choice.  
If you even look at her again, I'm going to hex you so you'll be puking slugs for a week.  
Just try me. I dare you.  
And you don't want to know what I'll do if you ever kiss her again.   
There had also been some unnervingly detailed drawings of Rowan being burned at the stake.   
All of this had been accompanied by some painful hexes, that felt like being electrocuted when the Professor wasn't looking. And of course, whenever Rowan had turned to retaliate, the teacher had told him off. Saying if he did it one more time he would get a detention. Aedion had idiotically grinned at this. It had almost been too much to handle, but just before he was about to snap, Rowan had asked if he could be excused for the bathroom, and luckily for everyone, they had let him go. He was one more sly look from punching that arrogant son of a bitch in the face.  
Rowan rounded a corner, and his heart sunk as he caught a glance of golden hair. Oh shit, Aedion had followed him. But as the figure fully emerged from behind the statue he realized it was a very preoccupied and busy Aelin, her arms filled with what looked to be... candy?  
He wasn't sure if this was better or worse than Aedion following him. Aelin, who must have heard his footsteps a tad too late, looked up from the colorful bundle in her arms, wide eyed and with a slightly guilty look that melted into a grin and a sultry sweep of her eyes over his body.  
"Hello." she drawled.  
Rowan fought to keep his eyes from her lips.. and her body, fought against the heat that was creeping up his neck at the memories of last night.   
He swallowed once.   
Twice.  
Aelin raised an eyebrow.  
Instead he focused on the overflowing bags in her arms, "Are you planning on eating all that?"  
"Yes. Care to join me?"   
He knew she was joking, but his heart jumped a little, "I'm actually trying to avoid your cousin."  
Aelin huffed a laugh, apparently tiring of her grin, which abruptly vanished, "Likewise."  
He said nothing. Debated walking away, but Aelin beat him to it. She walked past him her shoulder lightly brushing his. A touch that made Rowan tense all over. And he thought that was that, but Aelin said to him over her shoulder, "Well, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And Aedion can't get into the Slytherin common room, so, come along."  
Rowan's eyes widened, she wanted to go to his common room? Was that even allowed? He fought between following or walking away, before jogging up behind her, slowing at her side. Rowan didn't know why he did it, he just did.  
"Plus," she added, glancing sideways at him, her grin had returned "You seemed so eager eyeing my candy and all that."  
Rowan swallowed, and quickly looked away, which he was sure she noticed due to her satisfied smirk.  
They walked in silence for a few moments before he realized, "Wait, how do you even know where the Slytherin common room is?" Rowan thought a moment, "I only know the general area of the Gryffindor common room..."  
"Oh? I'll have to show you it sometime, it's lovely, especially the bedrooms."  
His shoulders slumped in defeat, completely aware of how red his cheeks were. Rowan internally face-palmed.  
She lead them right to the entrance, and he briefly wondered how many people had brought her here, and if she knew where the other dorms were.  
She knew so much, that Rowan had half expected her to say the password, but she looked up at him expectantly. He opened his mouth to say it, but caught himself.   
"Cover your ears."  
"Oh come on!" she moaned  
"Cover your ears or you're not coming in. I don't even think your suppose to be allowed in."  
Her eyes sparkled, and Rowan braced himself for another wicked comment, "Are you telling me you've never brought a girl from another house in here?"  
He sighed, facepalming for real this time. "or boy" she added.  
"Just cover your ears." He groaned into his palm.  
She frowned up at him, glancing down at her filled arms, "I can't really do that."  
Rowan sighed and after a slight moment of hesitation, took a step closer to her, clasping his hands over her ears, which she rolled her eyes at, mumbling "It's probably some racial slur or something.."  
He grimaced, before whispering, "Pure-blood"   
There was a click, and Rowan removed his hands from her ears to push the wall open. He entered, not bothering to hold it open for Aelin who followed him in. Luckily there were no other Slytherins in the room.  
Rowan walked over, pulling his robe off and throwing it onto one of the intricately carved chairs. He could hear Aelin ridding her arms of the candy on a nearby the table. He ran a hand through his hair, looking around the familiar room.  
"Make yourself at home I guess." Rowan said gesturing around him, his back to Aelin.  
When he turned himself to face her he found Aelin wrapped in his cloak, that was ridiculously large on her, and pooled around her feet. Rowan raised an eyebrow at her, lowering his hand from his hair.   
She was tugging it around her waist, so it hugged closer to her body, "I think green suits me better than red, don't you agree?"  
Rowan smiled slightly, slumping into a chair opposite her and he didn't know why but he said under his breath, "Everything suits you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ______________________________________________________________________  
> So, some of you lovelies have been requesting a second part to the previous Hogwarts AU, and since you're just so goddamn nice, I made it. And I must say it was very fun to write, and I hope you had fun reading it!!
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> BTW (shameless self promo) check out my other fanfics! (if you haven't) Including a TOGXACOMAF crossover (set after EoS) that you guys have been super supportive about. And a more random, less structured, but it still has a plot Rowaelin fanfic (set sometime in QoS), that was completed awhile ago.


	3. Hogwarts AU (Part 3)

Aelin looked up at Rowan, disguising her reddening cheeks with a grin. Rowan glanced up, his eyes wide, like he hadn't meant to say 'everything suits you'. She looked away, cursing herself for blushing like some idiotic love-struck teenager.

Trying to ignore what had happened Aelin turned to the table that she had unloaded her candy on. She sorted through them, settling on a chocolate frog. She plucked it off the table and nestled into a chair, opposite Rowan, facing the fireplace.

Aelin didn't spare him a glance, just sat eating the chocolate frog, surveying the collectible card: Dumbledore. She always got Dumbledore. 

"What did Aedion say to you? I saw you leaving the hall at breakfast." Rowan said breaking the silence, his voice deep and calm.

Aelin let out a small growl, she was still pissed at Aedion. But she didn't know if she wanted Rowan to know what she was so mad about, lest he get the wrong Idea. So instead she answered, "He was just being an overprotective twat who think he knows better because he's a year older."

Rowan nodded and mouthed a silent 'Oh', "Well, he is your older cousin-"

"Really? You're defending him?" Aelin said, turning in her seat to face him, "You were avoiding him as well."

"Yes, but that's because he was repeatedly harassing me." Rowan insisted.

Aelin raised her eyebrow, "I've lived with him my whole life, if anyone has been repeatedly harassed by him, it's me."

His lips tugged up, "He wants me to meet him at midnight in the trophy room."

"For fucks sake." Aelin groaned loudly, rolling her eyes, "He wants you to fight him? In the trophy room?"

Rowan smiled disbelieving, realizing how ridiculous it sounded, "Yep, fists or wands, my choice."

Aelin moaned, "Oh my god." shaking her head. "Our you going to go?", she asked perking up in curiosity.

Rowan rolled his eyes, leaning into the cushions, "I don't see the point."

"He's going to fight you, one way or the other, he's a stubborn bastard." Aelin said matter of factually, "this way you at least get to be prepared."

Rowan grimaced and looked away.

Aelin leaned over the armrest, leering at him, "Or are you scared?"

He raised an eyebrow and scoffed, Aelin continued leaning closer, "One kiss from an Ashryver and you can't even function for an entire match, imagine what a punch will do? You'll probably be out for a week.", she mused.

"I'm starting to think kissing you was a bad idea, the consequences are out weighing the benefits."

Aelin, sunk back into the chair, feigning hurt, "Ouch."

Then Rowan smiled wickedly, leaning closer, "If I'm going to have to fight Aedion anyway... you might as well make it worth my time." He then gave her a sweep of the eyes, that made waves of heat course to her cheeks.

Aelin bit her lip, fighting to keep her cheeks from burning, "You're not even going to buy my diner first?", trying to conceal her shock with sarcasm.

Rowan grinned, apparently pleased that she wasn't flat out rejecting him, "Do you want diner?"

Aelin nodded, trying to look as casual as possible.

He paused, before leaning back, stretching his arms, "Then diner you shall have." 

She said nothing, not quite sure if it was a joke or not. Not sure if he was joking, not sure if she was joking. Aelin reasoned that if he wasn't joking, he wasn't joking, it was one thing to make out with Rowan to get Aedion back, it was completely another to go and make out with him. Aedion would be so pissed.

She looked up, noticing Rowan had been staring at her. He waited a second before tentatively saying, "Well, we have a Hogsmade trip on Saturday, what about then?"

Aelin raised her eyebrows, her lips pursing together in an effort to keep from grinning. When she didn't answer immediately, he seemed to regret asking, his cheeks turning red, the cool confidence gone. He lifted up his hands, surrendering, "Or not."

She chuckled shaking her head, "No, I'll come."

He grinned bashfully up at her, blowing a strand of silver hair from his eyes. They sat in pleasant silence before a Aelin reached back grabbing a fistful of candy.

-

After some persuasion she got Rowan to eat some candy, to Aelin's utter horror he barely knew any of them.

Aelin was shaking a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans in his face, she had migrated to the sofa next to him, when she had tried to force a chocolate frog down his throat.   
"You don't know these?" she said, amazed.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, "I've heard of the name, but I don't really know what they are."

"Did you even have a childhood?" she exclaimed, her mouth wide open.

Rowan smiled grimly, quickly the subject, "So, what are they?"

"Well," She said leaning back, "like the package says, It's beans, that come in every flavor." Aelin said, showing him the front of the box.

"So even bad ones?"

Aelin's eyes twinkled, "No, only good ones like apple pie. If there were bad ones no one would eat them, would they?"

His eyebrows scrunched together, suspicious of her. She leaned off the sofa, dumping the contents on the table.

They began tasting them and sure enough when Rowan finally landed a bad one it was hilarious, "What the fuck?", he asked spitting into a waste bin.

Aelin fell to the floor laughing her ass off, by the time she regained herself her cheeks were wet. And Rowan was casting disgruntled glances at her. 

"Oh, don't be so pissy." she said between breaths

He grumbled in response.

\- 

They sat talking, Aelin occasionally eating candy for hours, until Rowan glanced down at his watch.

"Shit!" he said, shooting up.

"What?" Aelin mumbled, still slouched against the cushions.

"It's three, people are gonna start coming back from classes." Rowan said, standing up.

Aelin looked up again, still not moving, "So?"

"You're not allowed to be in here." He said grabbing her hand to pull her up.

She reluctantly stood, sighing, "Fine."

He walked her over to the door, still holding her hand. He seemed to realize and pulled quickly away, blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"I need my robe back." 

Aelin looked down, she had forgotten she was wearing it. She pulled it off, handing it back to him.

He smiled gratefully as he took it from her.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then, at Hogsmade?" Rowan said, meeting her eyes.

Aelin grinned, "Aren't you going to come to the trophy room, at midnight?"

Rowan groaned running a hand through his hair, "You're going to come?" 

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." she grinned wider.

He sighed, opening the door, "Goodbye for now then." 

Aelin nodded, hesitated, then stood on her toes brushing her lips against her cheeks. When she pulled back Rowan was wide eyed and red faced, she waved and strutted from the room, closing the door behind her.

\-----

As you requested!


	4. Hogwarts AU (Part 4)

Rowan craned his neck when a group of Gryffindors entered the hall, looking for that golden haired she devil. He scowled when he couldn't find her, slouching back into his seat. He slid around his food with a fork, cursing himself for feeling so disappointed that Aelin wasn't here. She was probably just avoiding Aedion, but Rowan couldn't help wonder if she was avoiding him. He guessed he would see tonight, if she showed up, whose side she was on.

Rowan looked up from his plate catching Lorcan staring at him, with a truly amazing expression of amusement and exasperation muddled in to one. He growled, hoping that would be the end of it, but Lorcan being the prick he was would milk this for all he could.

"So," he started, trying to contain his grin "I'm assuming that when you left you went and found Ashryver's little cousin, are you trying to piss him off?"

"Her name is Aelin." Rowan growled.

Lorcan's grin busted out with full force, "So how far did you get with Aelin?"

The way he said her name made Rowan want to punch him. He met Lorcan's gleeful stare and put all the things he would do to him if he ever touched her into a snarl.

Lorcan chuckled, "Oh come on, an empty school? So many things you could do." he said suggestively. 

Rowan looked back at his plate, not wanting him to know anything. Unfortunately Lorcan, who Rowan had grew up with, knew him far too well.

Lorcan gave an exasperated sigh, "You didn't do anything did you?" 

When Rowan didn't reply Lorcan's suspicions were confirmed .

He sighed loudly again, and leaned back on the bench, "If you don't do it, I will." 

Rowan stood from his seat, snarling in Lorcan's face, "If you even touch her, I'll tear you to pieces."

Lorcan pushed him into his seat and dismissively laughed, "You're just as bad as Aedion."

The diner went on and Rowan refused to react to any of Lorcan's taunts, no matter how vile they were. 

"Speaking of Ashryver," Lorcan said looking over Rowan's shoulder, abandoning the lowered voice he had been using for his jabs. 

Rowan turned towards where he was looking, and sure enough, Aedion stood feet away from him looking as pissed as ever.

"Have you decided?" he sneered.

Before Rowan could answer he cut in, "Or are you planning on running away like you did in potions?"

Rowan was pissed, pissed from all of Lorcan's taunts, pissed from Aedion's shit, and pissed about himself being so obsessed with Aelin. All he wanted was to punch someone- something, so leaning back and putting on those cruel smirks Slytherins were known for, he said, "Fists."

Aedion was taken aback for a second, most wizards wouldn't opt for fists, but he quickly regained himself, "Great, lets see what Aelin thinks of your face when I beat you to shit."

Rowan laughed darkly, "In your dreams Ashryver, by the way, tell Aelin I enjoyed the time we had together today."

"What?" Aedion growled barely holding himself back from punching Rowan in the face, right then, right there. 

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Rowan replied casually, enjoying every second, "We were in the Slytherin common room," he paused for effect, grinning as he watched Aedion's face get redder and redder, "while everyone was off at class. We had it all to ourselves."

Rowan's grin grew when he heard Lorcan dying of laughter behind him, Aedion, however did not look so amused, in fact he looked like he was going to rip Rowan's throat apart.

"Nothing is going to stop me when I get my hands on you, Whitethorn. When I'm done, you won't be able to fucking walk."

There was a wicked chuckle behind him, and Aedion's eyes shot to Lorcan, "I heard Aelin had a similar condition." Lorcan laughed.

Aedion's growl was nothing short of feral, Rowan saw him fiddle in his robe with his wand, and immediately Rowan's hand shot to his pocket, ready to stupefy him if he tried anything. 

Luckily, Aedion only said, "My invitation extends to you too, if you wish Salvaterre." and walked away.

-

Aedion was absolutely fuming, he had never felt this angry before, he was counting down the second to when he could punch that bitch in the face. He was going to fuck Whitethorn up. God, he wanted to punch someone. That was all he could think as he stormed to the Gryffindor common room, he was going to question Aelin. Aedion couldn't believe she had gone behind his back, and if she had done what Whitethorn and Salvaterre had claimed, he didn't know what he was going to do, but it would be bad.

When he entered the common room it was empty, which if it weren't for his rage clouded mind he would have been thankful for. Aedion guessed that she was probably in the girl's dorms, which, for reasons he now realized were bullshit, he could not get up to. 

"Aelin!" he shouted.

Nothing.

"Aelin!!"

Nothing.

"AELIN!"

"WHAT? SHUT UP!" she finally replied.

"GET DOWN HERE"

She didn't reply.

"GET DOWN HERE. RIGHT. FUCKING. NOW, AELIN." Aedion said, in a tone he never thought he'd use.

"Fine!" she yelled, and he heard footsteps from the dorm. 

Aelin emerged from the dorm and though she looked exactly the same as she had a week ago, everything felt so different. The next thing Aedion knew he was blushing, how would he ask her about this? 

"What?" she said crossing her arms, giving him her classic 'I'm pissed' looked.

He took a deep breath.

And another.

And another.

"What?" 

He gasped, how the fuck was he going to do this? 

Aedion swallowed, running a hand through his hair, "You skipped class?" he said weakly.

Aelin gave him a weird look, "Yeah, because I was pissed-"

Suddenly it all came out, "AND WENT TO THE SLYTHERIN COMMON ROOM WITH ROWAN. FUCKING. WHITETHORN?"

"Yeah? So what?" Aelin continued unfazed. 

His voice dropped again, "Did you- did you.."

"Did I?" She prompted impatiently.

He couldn't even say it, it made him want to puke, "Did you... do things with him?"

Aelin raised an eyebrow, "Did I fuck him?", she said blandly.

He grimaced. His heart stopping.

"No. I didn't." 

His heart restarted, and he let out a long breath. 

"And so what if I did?" Aelin asked exasperated.

"It's just-"

She laughed, "It's not like it would be my first time."

And Aedion's heart stopped again. He could feel the color drain from his cheeks, "What?" he said quietly.

"Oh come on Aedion. You can't be serious."

The rage bubbled up in him again, "Who?" he demanded.

Aelin rolled her eyes.

He took a step forward, "Was it Dorian? I'll kill him."

She scrunched her face together, "No, we're just friends."

"Who?" 

She threw her arms in the air, waiting for him to guess. He didn't. "Chaol." she said, like it was obvious.

Chaol? Chaol? The respectable Gryffindor, that always followed the rules? The next time he saw that kid...

"You're insufferable." she said before stomping off back to the dorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \------
> 
> Well, that was fun.


	5. Hogwarts AU (Part 5)

Aelin waited on her bed for the other girls to come filing into the dorm, she didn't want to run into Aedion on the way out. She shook her head, she was still mad at him, he was acting so overprotective. And not the almost tolerable overprotective, where he was on the defense but still always on her side, nope. It felt like Aedion was attacking her, and she wasn't use to avoiding him- so she guessed that was why she felt that pull towards Rowan.   
The door clicked open, a warm skinned girl with curly brown hair came in, Sorscha.   
"Hi" she said quietly.   
Aelin smiled on instinct.  
Sorscha smiled back before rushing off to her bed, pulling out books and quills.   
Aelin checked her watch 8:00 pm, she could leave in three hours at least. She picked back up her book and read as the rest of the girls entered.  
"Hey.." Ansel said when she walked in, coming straight to Aelin. Ansel and Aelin had once been best friends, but then stuff happened and it fell apart. Now, they were just good friends.   
She put her book down, "What?" Aelin asked suspiciously.   
"So.." Ansel started, sitting down next to her, "I heard you and Rowan were 'hanging out.'"   
She winked, and all the other girls' heads poked up.  
"Oh my god! Rowan? He's super hot!" one chirped in.   
Following Ansel's example they all huddled around her bed. Aelin rolled her eyes.  
"Did you kiss?" Ansel asked, wiggling her stark red eyebrows. All the girls leaned in.  
Aelin decided to humor them, "Yes.." she answered rolling her eyes.  
A collective mush of gasps and giggles went around the room.   
"Was he good?" Another asked.  
Aelin leaned back, tapping her chin, and clucked her tongue, "I guess."  
After a good gossip session the girls had dispersed and Aelin was able to read again. When her eyes began to sting she glanced down at her watch, 11:00 pm, if she left now it would be early... but she had become bored with the book and didn't feel like gossiping with the others.  
Aelin abruptly stood, carefully marking her page before striding to the door.  
"Are you going to meet with Rowan?" Ansel questioned with a wicked grin.   
She only smirked over her shoulder before shutting the door behind her.   
-  
Walking through the dark corridors to the dungeon was creepy, Aelin only had her wand to light her way. Every sound made her jump.  
Aelin heard shoes on stone and quickly stifled her wand, pressing up against a corner. Another wand's light beamed through the halls and Aelin caught a flash of green robes in a reflection off a knight's helmet- Rowan? Well whoever it was, it was a student, so there was no point in hiding. Aelin stepped out from the corner startling the student who was a few inches taller than Rowan. There was only one person taller than Rowan- besides Hagrid- Lorcan. Sure enough, moments later Aelin recognized his dark hair and sharp features.  
"Hello." He drawled, shining the light in her face. "You're Ashryver's little cousin aren't you?"  
Aelin opened her mouth to tell him to fuck off, but he interrupted. "I heard Rowan was too much of a coward to make any moves on you."  
He closed the distance between them, making Aelin uncomfortably aware of how tall he was.  
He swooped down whispering in her ear, "If you wish I could finish what he started."  
A growl echo against the stone walls, but it was not her's. Lorcan was yanked back from her.   
"Fuck off, Lorcan." the voice said, pushing him back down the corridor.  
Lorcan only laughed darkly, "Remember. If you don't, I will." before continuing down the corridor.   
"Lumos."   
Aelin raised her arm shining her wand in the man's face, and as she expected, Rowan stood there a hand shielding his eyes.  
She sighed, keeping the light on his face.  
"What are you doing wandering around, the trophy room is that way." he said squinting, pointing down the corridor she had came from.   
Aelin bit her lip, "I was coming to make sure you didn't get lost on your way there.", she said lowering her wand to the ground.  
Rowan raised his eyebrows.  
"Plus, Aedion thought you might not show."   
Rowan growled and there was a moment of silence where he just stared into her eyes.  
Aelin swallowed, "Where is he going?", she asked, gesturing to where Lorcan had disappeared.  
He huffed a laugh and walked past her down the corridor to the trophy room.   
Glaring at his back she hurried to his side.   
"Well?" she said, this wasn't how he usually acted with her. He was being a closed off prick.  
"I don't know where." he replied blandly.  
Aelin let out an annoyed breath, "Aren't you friends with him?"  
Rowan shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged.  
As they walked in silence her anger grew.   
She stopped and turned to him, crossing her arms. He halted a step in front of her. Aelin smiled sweetly up at him, "Do you mind telling me why Aedion was under the impression that we fucked and how he knew I was with you in the common room?"  
The color drained from his face and he knew he was in deep shit.  
"I- I was just messing with him- it was mostly Lorcan." Rowan said, finally attentive, he took a step back so he stood in front of her.   
"Oh?" she said peering at him "And why did your fucking with him, have to include you lying about fucking me?"  
He blushed and opened his mouth but she continued, "And don't blame it on your friend." Aelin sneered.  
-  
Rowan swallowed. He was in such shit, all for some crap he said to piss Aedion off.   
"Aelin." he started, trying to gather his words."I'm sorry, it was jerky move, I was just was tired of all your cousin's shit. And I'm sorry, it was stupid, I just wanted to piss him off."  
He didn't bother clarifying that he never actually said they had had sex, because he knew what he had been insinuating. And was just praying he hadn't fucked everything up.  
Aelin pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, shaking her head.   
He bit his lip, "But I swear I didn't say anything like that to anyone else."   
"Fine." she said walking away.  
Oh shit. He had definitely fucked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \------------------------------------------------------  
> I'm not very happy with this, and I'm sorry it’s taken so long for me to update.... : P


	6. Hogwarts AU (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it seems i posted this to the wrong story before......oops. Sorry

Aelin made sure to walk several steps in front of Rowan, never sparing him a glance as they made their way to the trophy room. After the argument and the encounter with Lorcan they were a good five minutes late. Suddenly she didn’t feel the desire to watch her cousin and Rowan beat each other senseless, Aelin actually felt tempted to turn around, walk back to her dorm, and sleep. She climbed the stairs, sighing under her breath.   
"Aelin," Rowan started, trying to catch up.  
She responded in a wary voice, "What?"   
He paused behind her, and she turned her head to look at him. He had pulled his hood back up, and with the harsh light, his pine green eyes glowed like a cat's. His lips were parted as if he was going to say something, all in all, Rowan looked quite remorseful.  
He seemed to hesitate before asking, " I know this may not be the best time, but, are you still up for dinner tomorrow? Or today, I guess." He corrected.  
Aelin was, but she wanted to keep him on his toes. She smirked at him, "depends on how well you fight."  
His lips spread into a feral grin, and combined with his glowing eyes he looked nothing short of predatory. "Oh I fight very well.".  
She regained her self, raising an eyebrow, "That's what you said about your kissing but we all know how that turned out." She retorted, cocking her head and leaning towards him.  
Rowan growled, his grin stretching wider. "I think your memory fails you, princess."  
She leaned back and crossed her arms, waiting for him to finish.  
Rowan ascended another step, they were now almost the same height, "I guess I'll have to remind you."  
Aelin thanked the gods that it was dark, her cheeks were burning.  
He extended an arm, as if to draw her near, but it quickly snapped away when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs.   
They both looked towards the noise as Aedion appeared, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, teeth bared.  
He blatantly ignored her and Aedion's eyes shot straight to Rowan, who stared right back.  
"Bastards" she murmured  
"I was beginning to think you'd chickened out, and I was going to have to drag you from bed." Aedion stated, never breaking eye contact.  
"My apologies," Rowan answered, his grin slowly returning, " I got" he glanced at Aelin, "distracted."  
Aedion snarled, and Aelin rolled her eyes, "are we gonna do this or not?"  
"We're definitely gonna do this." Aedion growled.  
Aelin gave an exasperated sigh before leading the way to the trophy room.   
The two boys walked to the middle and Aelin shut and locked the door behind them. Now that they were here she wondered how this would go down. Was the point of this just to beat each other senseless?  
Aedion began in an authoritative voice, "Here's the deal, Whitethorn, if I win, you never speak to her again."  
"What?!" She exclaimed, throwing up her arms, "it's my choice who I talk to!"  
They both waved her off, "It's okay Aelin, he's not going to win." Rowan said.  
Before she could continue voicing her outrage, Rowan continue, "Fine, but when I win I get to take your lovely cousin to dinner tomorrow."   
Aelin's eyebrows scrunched together, "Again, not your fucking choice."  
And again they ignored her, "deal." Aedion said.  
She rolled her eyes, leaning against the door, " I fucking hate you both."  
"Until the other person says stop or is knocked out." Aedion clarified.   
She sighed again.  
Rowan looked at her and casually asked, "Do you want to count down?"  
"Fine," she held up three fingers, "on the count of three."  
"Three," Aelin began  
She put a finger down, "Two,"  
"One."  
She expected an outburst of movement when she put down the last finger but there wasn't one. Rowan stood in the exact same position, while Aedion had took up a more stable stance and had his arms up so he could block quickly.   
Rowan, being arrogant bastard he was, slipped his hands into his robes' pockets, "Are you all talk, and no walk?"  
Aedion growled and threw a punch, that Rowan easily dodged with his hands still in his pockets. Aelin was surprised by that, the punch at been decent- as it should be, Aedion had been training his hand to hand combat since he was a child. And Rowan, though very athletic, as far as she knew had not.   
The ease in which Rowan had avoided Aedion's punch only seemed to anger her cousin more, he punched at his face twice more. Both Rowan casually sidestepped, but he had removed his hands from his pockets. Aedion stepped back, waiting for Rowan to finally make his move. Aelin was waiting too, she doubted all this was just luck and she was curious to see what the could do. Aedion began to circle around Rowan, who had no choice but to fall into position, when he still didn't attack, Aedion abruptly stepped forward, feigning a sweep of the leg but instead going for an uppercut.  
Rowan somewhat clumsily stepped back, grabbing Aedion's other arm and pulling him forward. Though he avoided the hit on his jaw, instead it rammed into his nose. Aedion tumbled forward pass Rowan and stood, immediately on the defense. Rowan's expression turned dark and focused, alarming Aelin. Rowan brought his hand to his nose, looking down at the red droplets on his it. Aedion launched himself at Rowan, his fist swing towards Rowan's jaw. Rowan's hand shot out grabbing him by the arm, he used Aedion's momentum to spin him around slamming him on his back. Rowan had him pinned beneath his knee. Aelin swallowed, even though she knew Aedion could end the fight at any moment, something in her began buzz at her cousin being in such a vulnerable position, she readied herself to jump to his defense as soon as needed.  
Rowan paused, his fist hovering in the air, perhaps to give Aedion time to end it, instead Aedion spat in Rowan's face. Aelin cringed, that seemed to be the breaking point for Rowan. He slammed his fist down on Aedion's face, blood spurted everywhere. And Aelin took a step forward, she hadn't thought this would phase her, she had grown up around blood, been in fights, but she wasn't use to see Aedion being beat. She didn't like it.   
Rowan continued pounding him in his face, but he paused, "Do you give up?" he snarled in Aedion's face. Aedion snarled back, baring his teeth, he twisted around rolling Rowan in his back, landing a solid punch on his jaw. Rowan kicked upwards sending Aedion flying off him, landing hard on the wooden floor. He groaned and Aelin could clearly see the bruises that were already forming. She could tell he was going to have a black eye, if not two, his nose looked broken and his lip was split, gushing blood. Rowan pushed himself into a crouch, and rose to his full height, slowly approaching Aedion. Aelin couldn't stand it anymore, she took three long strides, standing between the two. "Stop." she said firmly. Rowan's face was ominous and to be honest, a little frightening, he raised an eyebrow, and it was hard to imagine him as the blushing boy she knew from earlier that day. She heard a groan behind her and a broken but determined voice said "Aelin, get out the way, it's my choice when I want to stop the fight."   
She tore her eyes from Rowan and spun on Aedion, "I'm not going to let him beat you until you pass out, just because you're such a stubborn bastard!" Aelin grabbed his hand, attempting to pull him up from the ground, seeing her struggle Rowan took a step forward, grabbing Aedion's arm and pulling him up. Aedion struggled to stay up, pushing away from Rowan, leaning on Aelin's shoulder.   
"We should get you to the Hospital wing." Aelin said, sliding an arm around his waist.  
"No, I'm fine" he insisted.   
"No, we're going now." she shot back at him.   
Rowan cut in, "If you go now they'll find out about the fight and that we snuck out."   
"I don't care” she growled at him.   
"No, no," Aedion groaned, "he's right."  
Seeing Aelin's expression the tried reasoned, "I'll go in the morning, and say I fell down the stairs or something."   
Aelin sighed through her nose, "Fine."  
There was a moment of silence where Rowan cleared his throat, "Just so we are all on the same page, I won. Right?"   
-  
Her and Aedion slowly made it back to the Gryffindor common room, Rowan had offered to help, but Aedion had snarled at him until he left.   
"How did he learn to fight so well?" Aedion murmured to her as they approached the final set of stairs.  
"It doesn't matter Aedion."   
"Yes it does, I need to train more."   
Aelin was about to reply, but they heard footsteps coming down the hall, "Shit." she whispered.   
Mr. Filch wobbled from the shadows, stopping in his tracks when he saw them. "What are you two doing out here?" He pointed at Aedion's face, "What happened to him?"  
Aelin opened her mouth, her mind working furiously to find an excuse, "He forgot the password and got locked out, I noticed he was missing so I came out to help him.." she glanced at his mangled face, "and he had tripped and fallen down the stairs."   
Filch surveyed them up and down.   
"I heard a thud coming from the trophy room, you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would ya?"   
"No sir," she replied, "I think I heard peeves singing up there though, just a few minutes ago.”   
His eyes stopped at Aedion's face, and she felt Aedion tensed beside her.   
"You ought to be off the the Hospital wing for wounds like that," he looked at Aelin, "I trust you can take him there."   
"Yes sir." she replied.  
His eyes narrowed before he lumbered past them, his cat on his heels.   
Aedion let out a breath and slouched back on Aelin, "Nice work."   
She smiled at him, "I guess we're going to the hospital wing then."  
He grumbled at her and rolled his eyes.   
-  
When they made it to the hospital wing Madam Pomfrey was in her nightgown, she immediately rushed over to them and helped Aelin get Aedion into a chair. After Aelin retold the story she had told to Filch, the woman prodded at Aedion’s bruises, "Fell down the stairs you say?" she asked, eyeing them both.   
They nodded in unison, and she pried no more. Aelin wanted to stay and go back with Aedion but she was shooed out, "He'll be up in a minute dear, it's nearly two in the morning, you need to rest."   
So she returned to the dorm alone, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \------  
> I'm not the best at writing fight scenes, so I apologise. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS GUYS!!!


	7. Hogwarts AU (Part 7)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ________________________________________________________________  
> Hey, long time no see. Sorry for not updating, I got kinda enthralled in my crossover, but now I have writer's block so I've been trying to update both stories for awhile. Anyways, thank you all for coming back!!! :)

Rowan couldn't help but get his hopes up, he had won the fight after all. But on the other hand, he had beaten the shit out of Aelin's cousin. Which may have put a damper on their relationship, but he had still brushed his hair, showered twice, brushed his teeth twice, and done several push ups before going to the courtyard with Lorcan.  
When he spotted Aelin in the crowd of students flocking the professor, Rowan grinned against his will. And all of Lorcan's disgust was efficiently conveyed in a single eye roll. But he didn't give a shit, he pushed Lorcan off, and headed to Aelin. 

As Rowan stepped next to Aelin, their shoulders brushed, and she tensed, her eyes darting to him. Thankfully she did not step away, but kept the hair width space between them. It wasn't a thrilling closeness, but comforting and reassuring. Like no matter what, everything was going to be okay.  
He side glanced at her, the smile on his lips becoming gentler, more permanent, as he studied her features. Rowan didn't listen to the professor repeat the same rules she had the year before, and the year before that. He was too entranced with her face to notice. The curve of her nose, the unimpressed slant of her eyebrows, the twitching of her eyes as she struggled not to acknowledge him. 

"How is your cousin?" Rowan said, using the question as an excuse to lean closer. 

Finally Aelin twisted her head to look at him, "Two black eyes, a split lip, and countless other bruises, they've all healed but he's still in enough pain to lay in bed all day. Instead of going out and getting drunk with his mates."

He bit his inner lip. 

She cocked her head to the side, and he knew shit was going to go down, "Tell me, are you proud of yourself?" 

The professor had finished her instructions, and students were beginning to head towards Hogsmeade. Spilling some blood must have boosted his confidence, because he found himself holding out an arm, "I've been told I have loose lips when I drink, care to join?" 

Aelin glared at him. 

Rowan grinned at her. 

"Put your fucking arm down, I'll come but this isn't a date." 

-  
"Two butterbeers please." Aelin said, leaning over the counter. The frothy drinks came minutes later and they brought them over to a small table in the corner, with two cushioned chairs.

"So?" she asked, crossing her legs. 

Rowan flexed his hands, looking past the surrealism of her sitting opposite of him, "I would have stopped as soon as he asked me to."  
"Why did you think beating the shit out of one another would solve anything?" 

Rowan raised his eyebrows, "First off, it was your cousin's idea, and Second, you knew about it and didn't say anything against it." he paused, leaning back in his chair, "So? What's your excuse?" 

Aelin bared her teeth at him, muttering "Bastard." under her breath. 

"Well?" 

She sighed and rubbed her stupidly perfect face, "Aedion wants to know where you learned how to fight." 

Rowan smirked at her, crossing his arms, "I've been training since I was a child. Why? Does he want lessons?" 

Aelin snorted, "Maybe, he's pissed you beat him." 

His foot slid forwards, brushing her leg, "Do you want lessons?" Pinning Aelin on the floor while sparring did sound rather appealing. 

"Please, I could kick your ass." He scoffed, and Aelin moved her leg away, "Don't get me wrong, your fighting was impressive, but... I'm better."

Rowan ran his eyes over her lithe and undeniably feminine frame. 

"You don't think I can take you because I'm a girl?" she said, dangerously monotone. 

"No, I think you can't take me because I've trained since I could walk, and I've never even seen you throw a punch." 

Aelin slammed a galleon on the chipped table, and abruptly stood grabbing her purse, "You're about to see me throw one." 

"What do you mean?" Rowan called after as she walked away, almost tripping on his robe as he rushed after her. 

-  
They walked to the edge of the town, it was a small clearing in a wooded area. Aelin pulled of her robe, and tossed it on a tree trunk with her bag. And just for effect she bent over to rummage through her bag, grabbing a hair tie. She glanced over her shoulder at Rowan as she stood, gathering her hair into a ponytail. 

"Why are we here?" Rowan asked, his eyes followed her as she sauntered towards him.  
"Take off your robe." 

He began to slowly pull one arm out, "Why?" 

"We are going to spar." 

Rowan sighed and pulled his robe back on, "No we're not. I'm not going to punch you, Aelin." 

She smiled up at him, their breaths mingling, "Don't worry, you're not going to get the chance." 

He swallowed, and stepped back, afraid she would hear his heart pounding in the silent forest, "Yes, I'm not going to get the chance because we're not going to fight."  
Aelin stepped forward, pushing the collar of his robe back, "Yes we are, and I'm going to kick your ass." 

He raised an eyebrow at the aggression, at her finger that lightly brushed his bare skin, "You are very persuasive, but, see, if you win, you get the satisfaction of kicking my ass, if I win, what do I get?" 

She tugged his robe off his shoulders, "What do you want?" 

Rowan grinned down at her, removing his robe completely, "A kiss."

Aelin snorted, "That's all?" 

"Fine, a second date as well." 

"This wasn't a date." She reminded him.

"A first date then." he said, throwing his robe on the grass. 

Aelin sighed and walked to one end of the clearing. Rowan stayed where he was, crossing his arms over his broad chest.  
"If you're pinned for 5 seconds I win?" 

She nodded, "Start." 

Aelin didn't give him time to blink before launching at him, Rowan took a rushed step back, arms falling into position before Aelin swung. He ducked down and grabbed her ankle, pulling it out. She snarled as she fell, before a strong hand braced her back. The fact he felt the need to save her from the very fall he had caused just made her more mad. 

Rowan grunted as they hit the ground, then groaned when she kicked him square in the gut, sending him rolling backwards. She arched her back and boosted herself to her feet, already jumping to avoid his leg sweep. Calloused fingers gripped Aelin's wrist, a boot hit her stomach, propelling her over his head. She tucked in her head and curled, to prevent a broken neck. They rolled until her arms were pinned above her head and Rowan, the giant ass, was grinning above her. She hissed and made to knee him in the dick but he had her completely stuck. 

"1, 2," He counted, whispering to her with a look of pure satisfaction.

Aelin had no choice but to use her tested method. She craned her neck, capturing Rowan's lips in hers, she felt him tense above her and his sharp inhale on her lips. For that moment all her evil schemes of distracting him so she could win were swept away. She could only focus on the softness of his lips, the feel of him against her. She arched her back involuntarily, but when Rowan released her wrists to slide his hands to her waist, the opportunity was too good to waste. Aelin cupped his face, and rolled them over, her legs straddling his hips. 

Rowan's hands had abandoned her waist, tugging at her hair, Aelin hissed into his mouth, biting his lip. Although her body whining at the loss of contact, she pulled away. She braced her hands on his chest, regaining herself before saying, "I told you I'd win." 

He snarled and swung her under him, "That's cheating." 

"I kept you on the ground for 5 seconds, those were the only rules you specified." 

Sighing he rolled off her, and grabbed his robe from the ground. Then walked away.  



	8. Hogwarts AU (Part 8)

Aedion pushed himself onto his elbows, his scarlet blanket bundling at his waist, "How was your date, Aelin?" 

Now her cousin knew Aelin wasn't nearly as thrilled about Rowan he felt content to taunt her. She ran a hand through her hair, eyes traveling his body for bruises. If all Aedion's dorm mates weren't away getting drunk she would be bright red right now. 

"How's your face?" she snapped, though she moved to sit next to him on the bed. 

He easily shrugged and flopped back onto the pillow, "Fine." 

She studied at him, "If you're fine, why are you still in bed?" 

"I'm lazy and self-pitying." 

"Amen." she muttered, removing her robe from her shoulders. Aedion's eyes narrowed, his hand reached out to pull it completely off. He kicked the covers away and sat up to examine black wool. 

"Why is there dirt all over this?" he demanded, shaking her Gryffindor school robe in his hands. 

Just like that, he was back to his overprotective bullshit. Aelin's face fell, "For fuck's sake, Aed." She stood and ripped her robe from his white-knuckled hands. 

He glared at her, drawing in a deep breath through his nose, _"You did go on a date with him."_

Something jumped in her stomach. Aedion- her whole family really- had one major rule, Ashryvers stick together. It was said as a joke, but when it came down to it, it was always followed. Once Aedion's girlfriend had said that Aedion and Aelin spent way too much time together, five seconds later she wasn't his girlfriend anymore. 

Aelin blinked away her wide eyes, "Why would you think that?"

Aedion stood from the bed, getting unnervingly close, "I can _smell_ him on you." 

Her eyebrows shot up and she swallowed a laugh. Still, a grin broke out on her face, "You're insane." She closed her lips, swallowing, "Seriously." 

Ignoring her, he snatched the robe back and rummaged through the pockets. Finding nothing. She didn't move to take it back, hoping his insanity had worn off. 

"I know you were with him." he resumed, cornering her again. 

She put on her usual mask and rolled her eyes, "Well, he did win the fight."

Her cousin stiffened, lips pulling back to show his teeth, "Where is your Ashryver honor?" 

"It was sarcastic Aedion." Aelin shook her head, "Goddamn." 

He drew away, giving her back the robe. 

"Fine, I did see him today." she admitted, the tiniest bit of shame wiggling into her mind. 

_"I knew it."_ he growled. 

Even though she had endured his passing bursts of aggression her whole life, it still set her on edge. They were cousins with years separating them, but their parents and parents' friends always called them twins. The Ashryver twins, by life's definition they were suppose to be on the same side. 

"But!" she began to defend herself, "Only to fight him in your honor." 

Aedion's eyebrows rose and then knitted together when he realized she wasn't joking. When his hands wrapped around her wrists and yanked her forward, she flinched. Hastily he rolled up her sleeve and rotated her body around. 

"If that bastard laid on fucking hand on you." a snarl rumbled through the dorm, "I'll take the sword of Gryffindor, sneak into those racist Slytherins' dorm and run it through his sleeping, perfect, fucking body." 

A hand to his forearm stopped his frantic searching, she laughed, "Did you just say 'his perfect body'?" 

"What?" his face was red, not with blush but with his rage, "Am I supposed to lie? But just because he's amazingly built doesn't mean I won't drag, " he drew in a deep breath, "his bleeding body into the great lake and let the mermaids and giant squid feast on it." 

Her hands rested on his shoulders, "It's fine. I'm not hurt." 

Aedion's lips pursed, his skin slowly changing from red back to its golden tan color, "What happened?" 

"I may have gone into it being a tad cocky." 

His pale eyebrows rose, "You thought you could beat him after he knocked me from under my feet?" 

Aelin gave him a small grin, stepping away to rest her robe on his dorm mate's bed, "I can beat you." 

Her cousin's nose bunched up as he struggled with himself, "Yeah," he sat on his rumpled bed, "like five times out of ten." 

"Six." she corrected. 

His sigh of acceptance was enough to boost Aelin's ego for the day, "It only lasted for a minute." 

"I would assume so; I thought we had been trained well but compared to him..." Aedion trailed off, "He's my age- he fights like he's ten times more experienced. It's insane. He must've spent all his childhood training." 

Aelin grimaced, considering it for a moment. She knew close to nothing about the Whitethorns, she knew they were a powerful pureblood family but she left all the politics up to her parents. As far as she was aware he had no relatives that went to Hogwarts, his only real friend was Lorcan. And after hearing Rowan talk about him, that was even up for debate. Plus he hadn't even known what Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans were. The fact that he had had no childhood whatsoever was becoming more and more believable. 

Aedion's voice brought her back to the conversation, "So, what happened?" 

"He pinned me in like ten seconds."

"Of course he did." 

Aelin couldn't tell if it was resentment or admiration in his tone, knowing him, probably both, "Well at least I won." 

That got his attention, he stiffened, eyes snapping to look at where she stood. A satisfied smirk on her lips greeted his wide eyes, "What? Really?" 

This time it was definitely admiration in his tone. 

"How?" 

She felt heat stain her neck and her smirk faded into pursed lips. Abandoning excuses floating in her head, she admitted in a small voice, "I kissed him, which allowed me to pin him." 

Aedion's shoulders slumped and he shook his head "Have you no dignity?" 

Though she knew how cheap it was, she still hated his tone, "He had me completely pinned! What was I supposed to do?"

"Accept that you lost? Have a little humility?"

Silence fell on the room, on the inside Aelin admitted he was right, but she had been polishing her pride since she was born. It was way to accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle to receive a dent now. 

Not to add the kiss hadn't been half bad- so she could only bring herself to regret it a bit. 

"How did he react?" 

She grimaced feeling her own inadequacy hide behind her gut, "He just kinda pissily walked away." 

Aedion's exasperated huff of a laugh only added injury to the small scratch she had accepted on that gleaming golden statue of pride inside her.

"Well, at least now I won't have to risk my neck to keep him off you." 

Aelin rolled her eyes and threw herself into a chair, rubbing her tired face, "Is it that bad?" 

He chuckled again, scratching his neck with both hands, "As we've established, he's probably dedicated his entire life to perfecting his fighting. And having you beat him with such a cheap trick" 

_Twice, she had beaten him twice with that trick,_ Aelin added silently in her mind. 

"no matter how much he enjoyed it," he growled, "probably made him really pissed." 

She groaned into her hands, hating herself for the dread that rose in her at the thought of Rowan being legitimately angry at her. 

Aelin heard Aedion rise from his bed, "Oh come on, it's not that much of a loss." 

She said nothing, keeping her face pressed into her palms to hide how much of a loss it actually felt like from Aedion. 

"Aelin, he's just some fuck boy." 

She could hear him rummaging for something, "he's not a fuck boy." 

Aedion snickered and peeking through her fingers she saw him pulling on his black leather shoes, "Yes he is. Ask any of the Slytherin or Ravenclaw girls, him and his friend, Salvaterre, they just go around hitting on any girl in their sights."

Aelin swallowed her gut sinking- but he had been so bashful and awkward. Not some smooth womanizer. 

Aedion continued, "I guess he had one real girlfriend, some Hufflepuff girl a few years ago." he paused, "I think her name was Lyria. But anyway, something happened and she doesn't go here anymore. Since then he just drifts from girl to girl." 

It was such an information dump, why hadn't she been told this? She had been in school with Rowan for years but never caught a whiff of any of his... flirtatious behavior. He had always been just some hot guy who stayed in the shadows and didn't talk to anyone. None of her friends in the other houses had ever even encountered him. 

"Whitethorn usually stays away from anyone not in his year, but-" he snarled, "I guess he made an exception for you." 

Pieces clicked in her head and an image began to form: not of the silently strong boy who despite his best efforts was just as awkward and as out of control with his hormones as any other teenager; of the douche bag who was completely aware how handsome his face was, how his body was perfectly toned, how his deep voice made her pulse jump, and how admired he was by almost every doe eyed female and male in this goddamned castle. She cursed herself- she had just been another prize, probably in his mind with the extra bonus of pissing Aedion off. 

"That's why you were so pissed about us being together." she squeezed out through the illusion crumbling around her. 

The sound of his rummaging stopped, "Yeah, of course. Why did you think I was?" 

Aelin swallowed, drawing her emotions back inside, making sure to conceal them completely. She removed her hands away from her face, "I just thought you were being a pissy and territorial bastard who particularly hated him because he was potentially smarter than you."

Aedion gave her a kind, subdued smile. Obviously, she hadn't hid her emotions as well as she had hoped. 

"Well, that too." He reached out for her hand. 

She obliged him, grasping his hand firmly in hers and letting him pull her from the cushioned chair. He finished his thought, "Now come on, I'm sore, the Ashryvers' pride has been chipped, what we need is Butterbeer."

His arm slipped around her shoulders and he quickly pressed his lips to her hair. Aelin sighed, forcing herself to acknowledge that with a cousin as amazing as Aedion she didn't need some douche bag like Rowan. Even if she couldn't deny the confidence and content his silent presence gave her. Or how nice his slightly chapped lips felt on hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ____________________  
> Actually have a direction in mind for this story now, so hopefully I'll be updating more.   
> Thank you and hope you liked it!!


	9. Hogwarts AU (Part 9)

There was a small battle pushing and pulling in Rowan's mind, between being pissed about Aelin using such a pathetic trick to win, and not caring because it was... enjoyable. The morning after the fight when some classmates and him filed in the great hall the winner was chosen for him. He could see Aelin's golden head look towards the door as it swung open but as soon as her turquoise eyes darted to him she looked away, there was no blush on her cheeks- if anything her features darkened when she recognized him standing in the doorway. As his steps faltered a student bumped into his shoulder, making him stumble. Was she pissed at him? He growled under her breath, he was supposed to be the one passive aggressively ignoring her. 

Rowan's stubborn resolve to be passive her was the only thing keeping him from marching up to her and demanding what the hell he had done to make Aelin ignore him. Snapping out of his annoyance he finished the journey to the Slytherin table and used his aggression to tear into a slice of plain toast. Part of him tried to reason with himself- she had just looked away, she may not have even been mad at him.

o-0-o

It was after first period when Rowan got the chance to confirm or deny his suspicions. Aelin was leaning on a pillar in the open air hallway, a red-headed girl in Gryffindor robes stood next to her. They were talking casually as students glided past them, their voices echoing in the hall, yet when the other girl saw him approaching a wicked grin broke out on her face- oddly similar to Aelin's usual one. The girl quickly whispered something to Aelin before grabbing her bag from the stone ledge and rushing off. Rowan watched as she rounded the corner, disappearing with a wink.

When he turned his attention back to Aelin she was already stuffing large books back in her school bag. His heart sunk against his better judgment. He debated walking right past her, just out of spite but he harnessed himself with a sharp sigh. Rowan wasn't going to sabotage this... friendship- or whatever. He stepped in front of her path, already knowing what he was going to say. Her eyes flickered to his and he braced himself for her wicked swagger. Seconds passed and it never came- her eyes never lit up and her lips never twitched. He opened his mouth to say something yet before he got a word out she sighed and completely shoved him aside with a shoulder that hit just above his rib. He stumbled back, his eyes going wide and he was forced to spin on his heel to watch the back of her head as she stalked down the hall, her knuckles turning white where she clutched her bag. Something crept inside him that felt unnervingly like hurt, he quickly clamped down on it, pushing it to the side. He hadn't done anything. If she was going to be a bitch to him, he would be a dick right back. 

o-0-o

It had been a week since Aelin had brushed him off and Rowan had stuck to his plan of being a dick. Which, if Rowan was being honest with himself, was just acting towards Aelin like he had for years: like she barely existed. 

There had been one time where Aelin had been walking in front of him, whether or not Rowan had taken a small detour because he saw her walking that way was beside the point, she dropped a quill on the floor behind her. For a second he had struggled with himself but in the end, he abandoned his jerkiness to pick it up and jog after her. When he called after her she had visibly flinched, which had just been another punch in the gut. The flinch had been message enough and it wiped all the friendliness from his eyes. It took him saying her name another time for her to turn- her eyes had been just as cold as his when he handed it to her. Avoiding his gaze entirely, Aelin only had looked at the magenta quill in his hand. After she snatched it from him she had practically run down the passageway so she wouldn't have to spend another second in Rowan's presence. Evidently, she was committed to being a bitch as well.

Today, Rowan caught himself staring at her from across the breakfast tables in the Great Hall again, he snarled under his breath. That was something he had to stop doing- yet everything about Aelin fascinated him, especially today. It was the same reason the Slytherin table was even quite enough for him to think and the reason (or so he told himself) that his attention kept being drawn to the Gryffindor table. Today was the Quidditch semi-finale, Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff. If there was a good time to be lost in staring at Aelin it was today, that way Rowan didn't have to avoid all the glares and sneering from his classmates. Slytherins were loyal- in an odd way: if anyone who wasn't their own attacked one of them the whole house was in arms, but the attacking in between Slytherins in the house was accepted and even encouraged. Not to mention vicious. They were all perfectionists and him fucking up so majorly and costing them the win in the last match won him weeks of torment. 

That wasn't what Rowan was focused on though, the whole Gryffindor table was laughing and hollering at the Hufflepuff table. He was observant enough to know that usually, Aelin was at the center of this arrogant pre-celebration. Not today- today she sat on the far end of the benches, eating her heaps of chocolate covered pancakes slowly. He was too far away to see her face but from her body language he could image it, her eyes glazed over in thought, maybe her lower lip caught in between her teeth. Her face delicately downturned, the mask she constantly wore wiped off, because she thought no one was watching.

Much to his horror, a part of him was yanked towards her, just this need to comfort her- yet scream at her for ignoring him overcame him. It was like he was going through withdrawal, he had been fine being alone before- now he would wake up thinking about Aelin. Every time he saw a flash of long blonde hair he would jump. Rowan had to revert back to his normal self before this got out of hand. She obviously wanted nothing to do with him for whatever reason, maybe Aedion had convinced her. Maybe what she had said after that Quidditch match was right, he was that horrible at kissing. Oh God, he groaned inwardly. The kiss. It couldn't have been that bad right? She had arched her back against him- she had held his face and bit his lip... he gulped. He could feel his cheeks and neck burning with blush. Lorcan shifted beside him on the bench, giving him a knowing look. Before anyone else noticed, especially before Aelin glanced across the room and noticed, he stood from the bench, almost catching his shoe on the edge. He stumbled, flushing deeper and rushed from the hall so nothing else mortifying could happen. 

When the banquet's door swung behind him Rowan's shoulders finally relaxed- then tensed again when the sound of the large wooden doors closing didn't echo through the empty hall. Once you spent years of your life in one place you got used to it: which boards creaked when walked on, which staircases disappeared when walked on, which rooms held ginormous beasts that would rip your head from your shoulders when walked in, and how long it took for a door to slam shut. 

He jumped at the sound of a voice 

"Don't be so butthurt, her cousin had to go back home on family business. That's why she's all moody." 

The door shut. 

It had been a female speaking, her tone light with a sharp edge of arrogance. Rowan should have been disturbed he didn't even question who 'she' was, but he was too preoccupied with bursts of relief in conscious. Maybe she wasn't being a bitch because he pissed her off- maybe she was just worried. 

Rowan spun, realizing the action was a tad bit energetic too late. The redheaded girl that had been winked at him after whispering to Aelin before was behind him, her eyes only now trailing up to find his. 

Her hand shot out, "Hello, my name's Ansel. Ansel Briarcliff." 

Rowan bobbed his head. A moment of silence nearly passed until he remembered to grasp her hand. He shook it quickly and opened his mouth to introduce himself. 

Ansel waved him off, tossing her shining locks behind her shoulder with a wolf's smirk, "I know who you are." 

He nodded, his eyes darting between the door to the Great Hall and her. This seemed like an encounter Rowan would have right before getting knocked out and waking in a bathtub full of ice with his liver removed, "What happened? What's 'family business'?"

She shrugged, not even hiding that she wasn't looking at his face, "I don't know, that's why its family business. Only Ashryvers know." 

Oh yeah, they have that weird cult thing, he thought. 

His lips pursed together but before Ansel could do another one of her sultry eye sweeps, he cut in, "When did he leave?"

Rowan couldn't remember the last time he saw Aedion and the prospect that his 'relationship' with Aelin wasn't obliterated was getting more and more likely. 

She suddenly became fixated on brushing something off her already cleaned robe, "A day ago." 

His relief dropped head first into despair. So she was just pissed at him and being a bitch about it. He sighed, losing all interest in the conversation with Ansel. Rowan turned to walk away but she beat him to it, strutting past him then looking over her shoulder to call, "See you at the Quidditch game." 

Despite her back facing him and it being completely useless, he nodded again then turned to go the opposite direction- even though he had planned on going the other way, he did not want to spend more time with Ansel. There was a fine line Aelin walked, between charming arrogance and just plain entitlement, between wicked and evil, between sanity and insanity, and he got the impression Ansel had crossed that line somewhere along the way. Which was probably the reason Aelin seemed to like her in the first place. 

o-0-o

Cladded in her signature personalized wolf Quidditch gear which she wore like armor, Ansel looked sidelong at Aelin, "Don't fuck this up Galathynius."

Aelin nodded quickly, wishing her Quidditch uniform had pockets to hide her shaking hands. She always got nervous before a match- she always got nervous when Aedion wasn't near. Or when he was hurting. 

The letter had arrived two days before, during the evening. They had been in the common room, surrounded by friends. Aedion had been in a particularly embarrassing pissing match with Aelin's former boyfriend, Chaol. Dorian had even snuck out of the Ravenclaw dorms to laugh at her misery. Aelin bit her lip, fighting the pressure behind her eyes. Then there had been sharp taps on the glass pane- a sound that was familiar to any wizard or witch. 

Her cousin and she had opened the window to find their family's white-tailed hawk. That should have been the first sign that something had gone wrong, but they had held on to hope- maybe- hopefully- it was just Aelin's father sending her those rare chocolates he collected from his travels. When they had let Mala, the Galathynius' hawk, in, there was only a green envelope attached to her sharp-taloned foot. A worried look had been shared between Aedion and her, Chaol and Dorian must have sensed the tension because they fell silent. The rest of their dormmates had continued on with their chattering and studying, oblivious to their inner panic. Aedion had taken one look and read it all on her face, he took Mala from her, untying the letter. On the other side, they had found 'Aedion Ashryver' written in silver ink. Even then her heart had dropped. It was rare a letter from home was only addressed to one of them if it was just a general update on Terrasen, where they lived. She had stepped back- Aedion was tasked, because he was older, with the more adult things- he would always tell her about them anyway but she liked giving him the choice. When he had read the name he straightened- somehow she always forgot how much he prided himself on being responsible and loyal to their family- his finger quickly broke the clasp and had opened the letter, pulling out the white parchment. Though she had stood in front of him she had seen the shadows of the writing in the firelight- it was her father's messy cursive, which only made fear pulse through her veins. Then Aedion's lips had pursed, his face draining of color. In the eyes that were identical to hers, she had been able to see the panic crashing through, the tears pushing behind them. 

That was the tipping point, she had grabbed his elbow lightly, drawing him closer to wrap an arm around his waist. His eyes had stayed on the paper trailing each line. She had carefully guided him out of the common room, not before a tear streaked his cheek. They had exited through the fat lady's portal, ignoring her cries that it was past curfew. Aelin hadn't led him away from the Gryffindors so they wouldn't see him crying- since birth he had always been unapologetic for his emotions, whether it be him screaming at Chaol for kissing her, snickering at the most inappropriate times, or crying in public- she had taken him out because whatever horror was on that letter was between the Ashryvers and no one else. The tears had begun to flow faster, his eyes not even following the lines anymore as she took him to an empty classroom. Despite not having known what was making him cry, tears still formed under her eyelashes, she had quickly wiped them away before asking, "Aedion? Aed?" Aelin had seen his body shaking and pulled him to sit with her on the ground, "What's wrong?"

Aelin had been able to see his chest heaving in the moonlight coming through the window, Aedion had set the letter down with near reverence, clutching his face with quivering hands, "It's my mum." 

Aelin had bit her lips to hold back a panicked sob, drawing his hands from his face by his wrists to allow him to encase her hands in his, to dig his nails into the backs of her hands instead of his own face.

"She's sick again." he had sobbed, "Really, really, sick." 

They had hugged and sat in that empty room for hours, though Aelin tried to be strong for him the tears still flowed, which only made him cry more. His mother had never been healthy, but they had held out hope, and that woman's Ashryver stubbornness at kept her alive long after everyone had predicted her death. Without a father in Aedion's life, every bad thing that happened to him or his mother- at least in his mind- was on him. And to him, it was his responsibility to protect his mum from everything. But an eighteen-year-old wizard, no matter how smart or amazingly caring and loyal he was couldn't fight a disease like hers. 

The sound of the care taker's limp foot dragging outside the door had made them retreat back into Gryffindor's dorm. Aelin hadn't wanted to leave him alone that night and Aedion hadn't wanted to be left alone. They couldn't go to her dorm- and considering there were already incest jokes between their friends about them, they didn't want to go to his either. So they had stayed on the couch in the now empty common room, the fire their only friend. They had gone from holding each other, to pacing, to being sprawled across the couch in positions they would regret in the morning. Finally, Aedion had been able to sleep, by letting his legs hang off the couch, his head on a pillow in her lap.

When the sunlight had attacked them through the window and they woke, Aedion's eyes were near lifeless. She would do anything to return the glint in his eyes, to revive the flaring ring of gold. Half an hour later McGonagall had found them, a heap of streaked cheeks- in her case streaked mascara- and fuzzy clouds of golden hair. They had been called to her office where they discovered her parents waiting. Aelin remembered her hand had shot out to grab his as her father explained that Aedion would be going home immediately, they wanted him to come back to Hogwarts for exams but the stay was indefinite. Aedion had only nodded but she had begged to come with him. Her father had silenced her with a few stern but gentle words. Before they disappeared by Floo Powder Aedion had pulled her into a soul-crushing hug, promising he would be back soon. He had said goodbye by demanding, "Win the Quidditch match for me, Aelin." He had attempted a feeble grin, "When I get back we're going to beat those Ravenclaws into the ground."

Now Aelin was alone facing the semi-final and Aedion was home with his sick mother, she felt like throwing up. The whistle blew from the other side of the scarlet curtain. She could smell the field of grass awaiting her. Usually, this was when Aedion would start whooping and cheering but he was somewhere more important now. She exhaled, blinked, bit her lip, restarting her mind and shutting out all the worries. It was worthless but all she could do was fulfill his wish. She would win the Quidditch match. The whole team was quieter than usual without Aedion, Aelin glance behind her at the replacement Beater: a scrawny fourth year. She nearly growled at him, it was going to be harder than she thought to win. 

The roaring of students followed the sharp whistle and their Keeper ripped aside the curtains stepping out into the green plane. 

The wet green plane. 

His hair was immediately soaked by the droplets of water falling in rapid fire from the gray clouds that nearly obscured the view of the goal posts. Lighting crackled in the background. 

_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ______________  
> YO YO YO QUICK UPDATE  
> HOPE YOU ENJOYED


	10. Hogwarts AU (Part 10)

Aelin could smell the rain and storm clouds above her as her team marched forward, forcing her across the threshold into the Quidditch field. The droplets of water pelted on her leather gear, the part of her that didn't want her hair to get ruined recoiled, but as the water soaked through her red undershirt and strands of her hair limply clung to her face Aelin let go. Let go of that superficial worry by accepting the rain. Let the freedom of being on the field immerse her- the already damp clothes and water filled boots only made her more eager to fly and throw caution to the wind. They crossed the field to the center where a suitcase lay, her cold gaze slid to the yellow-clad Hufflepuff players that emerged from the fog, their brooms dragging in the mud. As she banished the concern for her appearance, she did her best to banish her panicked worry with it, she tried to force the images of Aedion crying over the letter out. Still, she was keenly aware that it was not her cousin's footsteps that sloshed against the grass behind her. That fact alone made her squirm. 

The Gryffindor Keeper halted, he was replacing Aedion as the team captain. The two students clasped hands above the case on the ground. The referee who had blown the whistle wore bright purple robes and had created a force field around himself to repel the rain. Aelin's muscles tensed as he bent down, lighting struck a goal post, he flicked the gleaming golden latch open and the twin Bludgers shot into the fog. The golden snitch that always seemed to catch her eye did a delicate twirl before zipping after them. Around Aelin her teammates boosted up. She pushed off the field, hovering for a second before the Quaffle was tossed in the air.

Ansel bursted forward colliding into a blonde blur as Asterin, the opposing chaser, beat her to the red ball. Her snarl rumbled along with the thunder above and she circled around, her curly red locks that she refused to tie back flying in her face. One look at each other and they chased after the girl. Gryffindor's third chaser fell into position as Aelin flew above Asterin, she cut down- the chaser was forced to swerve into Ansel's side- who already had that bloodthirsty gleam in her eyes. Her armor-clad hand slithered between Asterin's elbow for the ball, knocking it up towards Aelin. A burst of wind sent the goal posts swaying swept across the field, her broom was forced off course and she watched helplessly as the ball was pushed into the hands of a Hufflepuff chaser. The boy wasted no time drawing his hand back and hurling it into the highest goal loop. 

Cheers surrounded the field, though Aelin couldn't see which houses were responsible from the vicious edge in them she imagined it was the Slytherins leading the celebration. 

"Ten points to Hufflepuff!" the commentator screamed.  
o-0-o 

What Aelin's muscles told her was hours later the shrill voice sounded again, "Hufflepuff scores again! Meaning Hufflepuff is in the lead with fifty points while Gryffindor still drags behind with only ten points in total!"

Shit, Aelin hadn't even seen the goal Hufflepuff just scored. She couldn't see anything, Gryffindor's one and only goal had been a wicked and not entirely legal play by Ansel. Aelin flew meters above the goal post to avoid balls and students. Her teammates trailed the tails of the Hufflepuff chasers when she would hear the roar of "Galathynius!" she would shoot down towards the sound and try to get the Quaffle. So far everytime had been a failure. It was a mystery to Aelin how the Huffelpuffs were scoring, they had to be using some sort or rain repelling hex. The storm that had been hanging on the horizon had drifted directly above them. The only bright side to the lightning pulsing down was that Aelin was so occupied by not getting fried she couldn't let her thoughts drift to Aedion or her aunt. 

An impossibly loud whistle cut through the thunder. Her shoulders sagged with relief, the selfish part of her just wanted to rest and give up but Aedion's last demand kept her crouching on her broom, her ears and eyes alert to any giveaways. The break, which either meant Ansel had finally snapped and bit someone's head off or that the Keeper had called a meeting, was welcomed. Aelin fell into a controlled freefall to the ground, her arms almost too sore to pull up. At the last second survival reflexes kicked in and her hands yanked upwards allowing her to land solidly on her feet. Ansel- who looked just as shitty as Aelin felt- was immediately in her face.

"Where the fuck are you?" 

Before Ansel could verbally beat the shit out of her she cut in, "I'm flying above so I can find you when you scream."

She shoved Aelin with her broomstick, "And look where that's got us!"

"I can't do shit down there while constantly dodging players and balls and when I can even see my broomstick!"

Baring her teeth, Ansel stepped closer, "Yeah, trust me, I know. I've been dealing with it the whole match. It's shit." her voice lowered, "Use the fog to your advantage, the Ref can barely see us, least of all call penalties. Use that gods-damned Ashryver training you're constantly threatening to kick my ass with."

Aelin sighed. 

"We need you scoring goals, not playing fucking Seeker in the clouds." 

"Speaking of Seekers," the snarling wolf turned on Seeker, who despite being a good three inches taller than Ansel looked like he rather be up in the sky dodging lightning strikes, "you better get that golden ball of shit soon- unless we are somehow one hundred and fifty points behind." 

The Referee came up behind her, "Is everything well?"

Ansel swiveled to her, "Yes Madame, we are ready to return to the game."

He looked towards the Keeper- who wouldn't even be standing if he wasn't leaning on his broom. Ansel's taunt shoulders alone dared the Keeper to go against her. He merely nodded. That was enough for the Referee to blow that damned whistle. Ansel pushed off the grass, leading the way back to the wet, thundering, elevated hell.

As soon as she leveled out and the game resumed Aelin was bombarded by a rogue Bludger. She knew that if she couldn't see, the Beaters couldn't either and therefore were pretty much useless. Nevertheless, her teeth ground at the thought of that stranger holding Aedion's bat. 

Aelin saw a flash of yellow in the cloud. A Hufflepuff player, and moving with a purpose. It didn't matter if it was a Beater, a Chaser, or a Seeker it was amazing anything was confidently moving in this dense of fog and rain. Aelin bolted after them. The yellow appeared again, above her this time as she followed it's invisible trail. Soon it was always in her sight and she saw a gleam on the yellow object. The buzzing that Aelin now realized was not from exhaustion registered in her mind as she caught up. Suddenly the object swerved right in front of her, on instinct her hand left the slick handle of the broom. Her fingers wrapped around the cold, hard surface, and she heard the buzzing stop. As it did delicate golden wings slowed to become visible. The Golden Snitch. The Golden Snitch was in her hand- and she was a Chaser. 

Thunder crackled and lighting struck, creating a moment of clarity around Aelin. In the corner of her eye, there was a brown Bludger coming right at her head. It was years of Aedion being constantly on her tail to knock them away that kept Aelin in the same position.  
o-0-o

Watching a Quidditch game with a storm in the center was a lot more boring than Rowan had anticipated. Since he couldn't even see the Chasers or Seekers his focus was on the Hufflepuff Keeper- Chaol. Sadly, he wasn't getting much action. He was the only one in the Slytherin stands who wasn't huddled under an umbrella, Rowan loved storms. He loved the smell it left in the air, he loved the sound of thunder, and the rain that drenched his hair and robes. He was also the only Slytherin who didn't cheer and flip off the Gryffindors when Hufflepuff would score- well besides Elide. A flash of lightning straight through the middle of the field casted the silhouettes of the invisible players in the clouds. One figure hovered deathly still meters above the goal posts, oblivious or not caring about the zipping players below that were struggling to make the best of the lucid second created by the blast. Below the lone player, a Beater raised his bat and hit a bludger into the sky. The light dissipated back into the clouds and Rowan wasn't able to tell who either student was. 

A bolt of Lightning struck the lowest Hufflepuff goal, just in time to reveal the hurdling ball collide with bone shattering impact into the player flying above. Rowan could almost feel the air being forced out of the student's lungs. A chorus of gasps arose from the stands, as the player was slammed off their broom. The combination of rain, fog, and dirt made all player's robes look a muddy brown- so it was impossible to see who. He saw the figure twist in the air, their arm desperately reaching for their broom that was beginning to fall above them. The window of opportunity between when the student was knocked off and the moment where the broom stayed in levitation passed. A gust of wind swept the broom away from their fingertips and they plummeted into a freefall. Above them all, clouds parted, a stream of light invaded the dark sky. As the figure tumbled through the mist, their hair came undone- long, blonde hair that glimmered in the small sliver of sun. Rowan shot up in his seat- he felt guilty for it as Manon bolted from her seat in front of him, but he was praying it was Asterin- and not Aelin. 

The girl's robe whipped in the wind, she fell faster and faster. She had given up on thrashing and twisting in the air and was falling back first- like she was laying on a cushion of air. In her hand, Rowan could see as the storm above slowly parted, she clutched something tightly. Rowan's heart stopped when her robe flared over her shoulders and head, revealing the scarlet jersey that clung to her frame. Aelin, it was Aelin rapidly plummeting to the ground. He had fallen from his broom before- it was painful and caused some broken ribs, but that had been from the goal posts, a half of the height she was falling from now. 

Below Aelin the game had frozen in time- Ansel held the Quaffle under her arm, she was on the other side of the field and would never make it in time. There was only one person who rapidly darted towards Aelin- the Hufflepuff beater that had whacked her from the sky, Fenrys, anger curled in Rowan's gut. Fenyrs rushed to intercept her but Aelin fell faster than he could fly- he paused in the air to dive after her but it was too late, he would never reach her before she splattered on the grass. Rowan didn't know what he was doing- or what he planning to do, but he stood from the stands, pushing aside people's legs to run across the aisle. 

Rowan's feet skidded as he ran across the Quidditch field, Aelin was only ten meters from the ground and he was nearly fifteen away from where she would hit. It was impossible to reach her in time. He pushed himself harder, he forced himself to run faster- then his foot hit a patch of pure slimy mud and his leg collapsed beneath him. Any hope he had had was gone, yet he rummaged in his robes for his wand, his fingertips only meeting soaked fabric. He saw her screw her eyes shut, preparing for the monstrous impact. His mind was already calculating the injury, she had positioned herself so her neck and head would get the least impact but- A voice roared from behind him from the footsteps his racing mind hadn't registered. 

"Wingardium Leviosa!" yelled a voice that was seldom heard, except at the beginning and end feasts. Relief that flooded Rowan's mind.

It was like the wind switched directions and began to push up on Aelin, her eyes snapped open just before she hit the ground. Despite the help, the impact was still devastating. He felt the thump of her body echo in his bones, and then the pop and crack when her arm was awkwardly caught under her. The whole stadium was silent- and so was Aelin when she opened her mouth in anguish, gasping. A fraction of a second later, like it had been caught in her throat the entire fall and only just escaped, her shriek cut through the storm. The sound bursted back into the world as students jumped over benches and rushed to the railings for a better look, as professors scrambled around Rowan like he was the insignificant fool, who had thought he could save a falling girl by running, he was. They swarmed to her, obscuring Rowan's view. 

It was only then Fenrys caught up with Aelin- with the victim of his actions. He hit the ground hard, tossing his broom aside. There was guilt riddled on his face but Rowan didn't care. He surged up from the grass and charged at him, gripping his collar. 

"What the fuck did you do?" Rowan growled in his face, yanking him away from where Aelin layed.

Though it wasn't common knowledge, him, Fenrys, and Fenrys' twin were friends- or at least spent a lot of time together outside of school. An insufferable amount of time. If Rowan was to beat the shit out him now, it wouldn't be a first. 

Fenrys was more concerned with the groaning girl on the ground than Rowan's bared teeth.

Rowan twisted his head to look back as Connall, Fenrys' twin, approached from behind, his blue robes swirling around his feet, "He was only playing his position." he said, in that always quiet, always stern tone- the exact opposite to his reckless twin.

The teams both had landed and were standing anxiously by the herd. 

Rowan shoved Fenrys aside, twisting to face Connall, "She wasn't doing anything! She was just hovering above the field, there was no point." he spun back to Fenrys, "You knew she wasn't paying attention, you knew there were no Beaters around her." 

Fenrys opened his mouth, "Yeah, but I didn't expect her to fall." 

"You could have killed her." he snarled. 

Fenrys snarled back, "Why do you even care, Rowan?"

That shut him up. That and that Aelin was being lifted onto a stretcher. He turned to watch as she pulled her arm from her side, lifting her hand above her. 

Her voice was barely audible when she said, "I caught the snitch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _______________  
> Sorry for taking so long... had exams, and then I got sick. Yay me!


	11. Hogwarts AU (Part 11)

Pain pulsed from the small of Aelin's back, from her calves, elbows, and the nape of her neck, all   
streaming to her head to form a pounding headache. The light weight of a blanket was draped over   
her body. Beneath her hand, there was a soft mattress. All of this was familiar. She inhaled deeply   
through her nose, still keeping her eyes shut in the hope she could fall back asleep. The room wasn't   
her dorm, it smelled empty and sterile. When she tried to move her fingers to free herself from the   
blanket, a sharp splintery pain shot up her arm. She gasped and bit down on a yelp. The fall from   
her broom- her right arm had gotten trapped under her and had shattered. She sniffed the air again   
and recognized the scent from all the other times she had ended up broken or bleeding and needing   
the Hospital Wing. Aelin opened her eyes just enough to see the familiar walls that were more   
window than stone. Through the glass there were clouds, unlike during the Quidditch match, where   
they had been grey, these were a flat white- like the storm had been drained from them.

Calloused fingers brushed down her arm and rested on the back of her hand, lightly tracing the   
bones and veins. She flinched and the warmth on her hand was snatched away. It was hard to   
repress the selfish hope Aedion had been told of the fall and had rushed to her side, but the thought   
was wiped from her mind when she looked at the figure in the chair. A harsh down turned face, his   
silver hair contrasted by the tan skin it hung over. 

Behind the strands, his eye flickered up to hers, and Aelin couldn't do anything but raise an eyebrow   
as blush bloomed on his neck and cheeks, making his green eyes gleam. 

Aelin planned on saying something, planned on taunting him and seeing how red she could get his   
face- but Rowan spoke first, "How do you feel?"

His voice was gravelly, his eyes constantly left her's to dart to her healing arm, his hair ruffled like   
he had fallen asleep with his head in his hands. Had he stayed here the whole time? 

"How long have I been out?"

Rowan drew in a long breath, "Twelve hours."

She pursed her lips and swallowed hard, that meant the Quidditch match was over, and Hufflepuff   
or Gryffindor had won. Either way, she had failed Aedion by being useless the whole match. It made   
her queasy to consider that they lost on top of that. That Aedion was going through hell and she   
would have failed to deliver the one thing he asked for. Aelin opened her mouth to ask who won but   
couldn't find the courage to even say it. 

Out of the corner of her eye, Rowan was tentatively watching her from a metal chair. He looked   
down at his hands then up at her again, "How do you feel?" he repeated. 

Aelin shrugged, causing more pain to shoot through her body and making her head pound, "Fine."   
she hissed. 

She tilted her head to look at him again, finding no more blush, only a harsh stare.

"Fine? You fell from nearly ten stories." 

"Yeah, I remember." her tone was dark enough that he looked away and shut his mouth. Stranding   
them both in silence again. 

She dismissed his concerned looks and groaned as she lifted her arm in front of her. It was peppered   
in purple bruises like she had some strange disease but it would heal in days- if not hours with   
whatever concoctions had been given to her. Still, the rest of her body hurt, she thought they would   
be able to heal the other injuries quickly. Her ribs ached and she had a hell of a headache. Rowan   
sitting beside her, tracking her every move wasn't helping. His constant looks, how unnervingly still   
and focused he was, his breathing. She had avoided him for weeks and he _still_ hadn't gotten   
the clue to stay away from her. If Rowan Whitethorn thought he could take advantage of her being   
tired and 

confined to a bed to talk her up or some shit like that he was wrong. Aelin didn't care if people had   
flings, _she_ had had flings, but she didn't want to have a fling with Rowan. He acted nice in his   
own way and he was interesting and attractive. It was stupid that Aelin cared so much, if she had   
known before she wouldn't have cared if he was just here for a fling; she had painted her own   
picture of him, that he was more than his brooding exterior and was wonderfully awkward and had   
pure intentions. Now that she knew it wasn't true, it was like he had lied to her about everything. 

Her arm fell back to her side and she scanned the room finally noticing foot of the bed. Aelin   
full-blown grinned, maybe Aedion had heard of her fall. On the small table were two wrapped   
parcels: one a bright yellow, the other sky blue. On the other end, half way obscured by the metal   
bed frame was a flower bouquet of these strange blue buds and pale pink roses. A small golden card   
was nestled between two blossoms. There was no chance the flowers were from Aedion or her   
Father, both knew very well to get her chocolates and sweets. The two packages were delicately   
wrapped with no ties, not made for owls to carry, and the usual Terrasen crest that adorned every   
package or letter from her parents was missing. 

Aelin braced her hands beside her on the mattress and began to push herself up, her healing bones   
barked in pain. She cursed under her breath and froze, the pain still pulsed. Before she could   
collapse back onto the bed, Rowan shot up and carefully lifted her by the arms to help her sit up.

Glaring at Rowan from the corner of her eyes, she said coldly, "I don't need your help." 

He withdrew his hands quickly, "You're not supposed to put weight on your arm, the Skele-Gro is still   
working on it."

"I don't care," she murmured, "don't touch me."

Rowan's lips pursed as he backed away. Aelin ignored him and scooted forward on the mattress. She   
reached the bundle of flowers and took the small note. 

When she opened the letter there were several lines in small cursive scrawl: 

_Dear Aelin,_

_I can't tell you how sorry I am for what happened. You know how it was on that field, you couldn't even_  
see your own broomstick, so as soon as I saw red, I fired. I promise there was no ill will- I actually am a   
great admirer of you, your Quidditch playing that is. Please accept these flowers as a get well gift and I   
would love if you would let me try to repay you by taking you to dinner after you get better. I'll be sure   
to visit you in the hospital wing so we can talk then. 

_Deepest Regrets, Fenrys._

Heat gathered in Aelin's cheeks, Fenrys was the one who knocked her off her broom then. He was in   
the year above her but wasn't part of the same crowd Aedion was in. Even so, Aelin knew all about   
him from the whispers between giggly girls in hallways. There were many handsome boys in her   
year and the years above her, but Fenrys stood out, he was beyond handsome. He was beautiful with   
his dark onyx eyes and blond hair. 

Rowan cleared his throat, making Aelin look up from her card. She met his piercing and   
disapproving stare, only making the redness on her cheeks more pronounced. 

"Fenrys dropped that off an hour after you were brought here." he said blandly. 

She bit down on her lip before challenging in a critical tone, "You've been here that long?" 

A flicker of embracement passed through his eyes and he nodded quickly, "What did Fenrys want?" 

Aelin tossed the card at him, "Read it yourself."

While Rowan read she plucked up one of Fenrys' roses and twirled it in between her fingers. She   
tried not to stare at Rowan to gauge his reaction instead examining where the flower's thorns had   
been removed on the stem.

"Bastard." Rowan growled as he threw the card at the bouquet. 

Aelin looked up, his eyes were glazed and hidden under the shadow of his brows, one hand silently   
tapping on his knee.

"Why is he a bastard?" 

"Because he almost kills you and then tries to get in your pants." he growled.

Her jaw hung open, "Excuse you, he just wants to buy me food because he feels bad."

Rowan scoffed, "He said," he brought his hands up and did air quotes, "I am a great admirer of you."

"Of my Quidditch playing skills." she corrected. 

"You can't be that naïve, if he had just wanted to compliment your playing he would have just called   
you a good player." 

She rolled her eyes "Why do you care if he 'admires me'?" she taunted, "What?" she laughed coldly   
under her breath, "Do you feel threatened?"

It was his turn to blush, "No." his throat bobbed, "Why would I feel threatened?"

"Why would you stay in a chair by my bed for twelve hours?" she replied.

Rowan's gaze darkened, "Because I felt bad for you." 

"Yeah, well, I don't need your fucking pity." she shot back.

His fists clenched, "It's not pity. I was just trying to look out for you." 

She twisted to look at him even as her body protested with a burst of pain, "I don't need you to look   
after me. We're not even friends." Rowan's eyes flickered away, "I can look after myself and I have   
people to help me if I want." 

Leaning forward he sneered, "Like who? Your cousin?" he gave her a small, cruel smile, "He's not   
here, is he? Didn't he go back home." 

He must have seen her stiffen because his grin only grew as he leaned closer, "Is there a rut in your   
precious life? Let me guess, your poor little cousin was so distressed I kicked his ass so he had to run   
home to his Mom and Dad." 

If it wasn't for her body still hurting from moving to look at him she would have punched him in the   
face, _"Shut up."_ she spat, _"You're such a dick."_

He growled and leaned back into his chair, "And _you're_ a bitch and a brat." 

A lot of people had called her a bitch before, and even Aedion sometimes called her a brat, but she   
still recoiled. 

_"Leave."_ she said quietly. 

Rowan chuckled, it was a harsh, cruel sound, "Or _what?"_

"I'll _make_ you." she growled. 

He raised an eyebrow, _"How?_ Are you going to _fight_ me again?" He grinned, "Does that   
mean I get another kiss? 'Cause we both know that's the only way you can accomplish anything."

She dug her nails into the sheets, "Fuck you, Rowan. Just because you're a lonely pathetic low-life   
with no friends doesn't mean you have to attach yourself to _me."_

Rowan opened his mouth to defend himself but she persisted, "You don't know _me,_ you don't   
know _Aedion,_ and you definitely don't know anything about _my family._ I don't want to   
_see_ you or _talk_ to you ever again, so I would appreciate it if you would stop creepily   
staring at me from across the great hall and please," she gave him a sweet smile, " never stroke my   
hand again." 

"Fine." He rose from his chair and grabbed his robe from the back of the metal frame. For a second   
he stood towering above her like he was debating saying something. Either to defend himself or just   
to call her a bitch again. 

He pursed his lips, Aelin glared at him. 

Rowan loosely gestured to the two forgotten parcels on the bed-end table, "Enjoy your chocolates."   
he said. Said, not sneered or growled. Then he left her alone and feeling oddly empty. 

It was only after an hour of boredom and soaking in her worst thoughts, the ones about her Aunt   
dying and how Aedion never being the same, Aelin opened the two colorful packages. She found a   
pine green envelope on top of a brown cardboard box when she tore apart the first's blue wrapping   
paper. In the envelope, there was a piece of folded paper, in black ink it said: 

_Hope you get better and hope you like them, you know I'm not big on sweets but I have had these  
before and I thought they were decent. _

_-Rowan Whitethorn_

For a second she thought about crumpling the paper, instead, she folded the paper back up and   
slipped it into the envelope and put it on to the table. Then she unwrapped the remaining package,   
where there was another chocolate box. They were delicious, all dark chocolate, the perfect balance   
of cocoa and sweetness with various nut and toffee fillings. Aelin had wanted to hate them out of   
spite yet after her first bite couldn't bring herself to throw them away. She may be a bitch, but she   
wasn't a monster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting, I was on vacation with close to no wi-fi. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!   
> I was looking over the earlier chapters in this story, and they're so fun and goofy... I miss that so I might try to incorporate that more in future chapters.   
> Thank you for reading!!


	12. Howarts AU (Part 12)

Aelin had tormented him, Rowan had laughed and talked with her; she had ignored him for   
weeks, he had hoped she would come around. Then she fell, and he had sat in a metal chair that   
had probably permanently bruised his back, for twelve god-damned hours. 

The Hospital Wing door slammed behind him as he marched out. He could hear the thuds of   
students' feet echo around the castle. Clenching his hand, he shoved the urge to charge back to   
her, far, far away. All that could occupy his thoughts was the delusion he had woven for the last   
half day: Aelin would awake, see him caring for her, and finally give him that impish smile that   
had been stuck in his mind for weeks. Then, without Aedion there to hold her back, they would be   
able to talk for hours- whatever had shattered between them would heal as her arm did. 

Instead, all had been accomplished was a hollow stomach. Rowan inhaled, catching the aroma of   
roast beef laced into the night's air. He followed it to the Great Hall, where he was hit with a   
barrage of mouth-watering smells, his eyes greeted by four long tables lined with still salvageable   
food scraps. Dinner must have just ended because the seats were emptied. He scoured through   
the remains, a half-eaten turkey on the end of the Hufflepuff table caught his attention. He was in   
mid-step when a flash flared from the turkey, he blinked and it- including the platter it had been   
on had vanished. All the tables had been cleared- the dishes with leftovers relaid to the kitchen   
for the house elves to scrub. He cursed then kicked the nearest bench, another stream of foulness   
followed his yelp. He sighed through clenched teeth and stormed out, making sure to slam the   
door behind him.

o-0-o

Wide caramel eyes blinked at Rowan, "H-hello sir, is there something we can make for you?" The   
house elf gestured to the counters behind it- where dozens of them had frozen in their steps, a   
plate of sausages and pancakes teetered on one's head, others' held broad butcher's knives above   
their cutting boards.

The elf in front of him rubbed its hands on a filthy gray apron.

Rowan crossed his arms over his chest, "Just something filling."

They bustled back into action. While he waited in silence, they baked, roasted, toasted, and boiled,   
in ten minutes the house elf returned with a silver platter piled with everything from apple tart to   
some odd vegan zucchini steak. He couldn't imagine how its bone-thin arms supported it, or how   
he had forgotten to specify what he wanted. 

He sifted through the choices, settling for a slice of pork on rye bread. With a quick nod, he   
dismissed the creature. It scurried away. 

Rowan engulfed his sandwich on the passage down to the Slytherin dorms. When he stepped   
through the threshold, it was silent. The fireplace was the only source of light, it cast a harsh line   
of gold against all the cushioned chairs. In front of the fire, there was the sofa, like all the   
furniture it had rich green fabric with silver trimming- unlike the other seats this one was   
occupied. Two heads peeked above the backrest, the stray hairs of one's glowed white in the   
darkness, even her pale arm draped behind the sofa had a ghostly glitter all the way to the bright   
red nails. Their tips were as sharp as swords, which Rowan knew Manon used to her advantage   
during Quidditch training and matches. The second head, shrouded in dark hair, rested on   
Manon's shoulder. It was barely visible over the trimming. Rather than staying long enough to   
decipher who it was, he padded away to his dorm. 

His sigh as he opened his door only made him feel more depleted. Refusing to acknowledge   
Lorcan's half-lidded eyes following him in the dark, he stripped down to his boxers, setting his   
watch on top of his trunk. Rowan shut the curtains and climbed under the covers but couldn't,   
despite his wariness, fall asleep. All thoughts lead to Aelin. Then they would drift to her. He   
shoved his face in a pillow, commanding himself to vanish into a dreamless rest that with a drop   
of luck would wipe clean his mind and heart.

o-0-o

_Rowan groaned as Lorcan rammed into him, digging his toes into the grass, he surged back._  
Lorcan's extra foot of height pushed down on him. It felt as if his bones would flatten under the   
weight. His legs buckled then Lorcan stumbled forward, leaving himself open to Rowan's knee that   
slammed right under his ribcage. 

_"Oh, fuck..." snickered Fenrys from behind them._

_A roar rumble from Lorcan, he straightened to shove Rowan's shoulders, then his foot hit him in the_  
gut. The air in his lungs was squashed out. Rowan's feet left the ground, he flew back, colliding into   
someone that compared to the force on his front was a cushion. A shrill yelp whined in his ear, and   
something wet splattered across his back. He turned away from Lorcan, whose boots pawed at the   
grass like a raging bull. 

_A girl in Hufflepuff robes was face down in slimy, dark mud. Her long hair matched the fresh stains  
on her shirt. He grimaced, there could be some unicorn dung muddled with it considering how near _

_they were to the Forbidden Forest. She shucked the mud off her hand, revealing pale fingers that_  
clutched a bundle of pink flowers. Rowan's hanging mouth pared with wide white eyes waited for her   
to wail at him. 

_Instead, small groans bubbled from under the mud._

_Rowan knelt down to put a hand on the girl's shoulder. The Hufflepuff rolled on her side, her face_  
somewhere in between a snarl and sob. The girl's cheeks were stained bright red. Her features   
plummeted when she saw her ruined clothes. Her jaw shut only to swallow back tears. 

_The bottom of her lip quivered and Rowan started to panic, "Oh, Merlin's beard-" he could feel his_  
own face beginning to burn. He tried to help her to a sitting position, "I'm so sorry." He used the   
edge of his robe to wipe chunks of sludge from her shoulder. Her yellow tie was flung around her   
neck and strands of hair stuck to the mud on her forehead. 

_She bunched up her sleeve then whipped her nose, streaking the white cloth with crimson. Her hands  
shot to her face, they drew away covered in red. The blood dripped onto her collar. She choked. _

_Rowan rummaged through his pockets for some sort of handkerchief or paper as Fenrys crept_  
around him to kneel beside the girl. Galleons clang together, he reached deeper and turned his   
pockets inside out. 

_"Here you go," Fenrys said quietly._

_He twisted to look at her. She was holding a bundle of cloth to her face. Rowan scooted closer, his_  
eyes flickering to his friend who was now shirtless- he looked back at the Hufflepuff hiding her face   
in the fabric, "Fenrys, is that your shirt?" 

_The twin winked, "Yes."_

_Rowan shook his head and brushed the girl's arm with the pads of his fingers, "Hey, I can help you  
clean up in the bathroom." _

_Her legs trembled to the point her boots clunked together, but she dipped her head in agreement. A  
clump of mud-free strands of hair swayed with the movement. _

_Trying not to hold her too tightly, he took her upper arm to lead her off the courtyard. They left_

_Fenrys in the grass and climbed the stone steps. He tried not be obvious when he glanced at her from_  
the corner of his eyes, her nose had stopped gushing, now she was trying to wipe the splatters from   
her forehead even as her hands shook. One hand still clasped the now snapped and crushed flowers.   
Using his shoulder, Rowan pushed open the oak door of the castle. 

_The girl walked through, despite how she hid her face behind her hair, he saw that from her neck to  
her hairline she was bright red. _

_"So," he gulped, "what's your name?"_

_Her head snapped to him, "Really? I'm in second year."_

_Doom settled in his gut. The girl looked away, "You're only two spots behind me in Herbology,  
Rowan." The girl spoke his name like it left a foul flavor on her tongue._

_"I'm sorry," he stumbled over a ridge, "I-"_

_"You're too busy being a- A loud, horrible..." she sniffed, "Nuisance."_

_A smirk threatened to sneak onto his face, a nuisance was perhaps the least insulting thing someone  
had ever spat or snarled at him, "Ouch?"_

_She turned her away. His smile faded as silence crept on._

_"I'm called Lyria." she mumbled, her attention darting across the floor tiles._

_"Oh yeah- yeah, I remember you." he rubbed his neck, "You're in... Transfiguration with me."_

_"Don't lie. I know you don't know who I am." Lyria's tone was bland, but her hands tore at Fenrys'  
shirt. Rowan felt a squirm in his stomach, he looked down at his own fingers. _

_"That's not true, I know you like..." her fists tightened around the stems, "flowers." he finished._

_Lyria's eyes rolled, then fluttered shut like she was keeping from shouting at him. The rest of the_  
walk to the bathroom Rowan stared at his mud-covered boots, trying to think of anything he   
remembered about her. After she had told him, he had recognized her face from Herbology. He knew   
he was with Hufflepuff for Transfiguration and Astronomy yet he didn't remember her from either.   
Which was odd- in Herbology she never could shut up or put her hand down. 

_They reached the washrooms. Rowan stepped left without looking up from his feet. Thin calloused_  
fingers gripped his wrist and tugged him the opposite direction. His head jolted up- Lyria's hand shot   
away. 

_Her round face flushed impossibly deeper, it almost glowed red._

_She wrung the bloody shirt in her hands, "That's the boys' lavatory."_

_"Oh," he rubbed the skin she had touched, "sorry, I forgot"_

_The blush on her cheeks lessened and she rubbed away a spot of dirt that had fallen onto her lips,  
"You forgot I was a girl?"_

_The edges of his lips twitched upwards. He walked past her, opening the door. After debating_  
waiting at the entrance, he followed her in. Rowan just hoped no one else would come, he didn't   
want shit from any Gryffindors or his friends for being in a girl's washroom. The room was basically 

_the same as the boy's- except it smelled like lavender instead of piss- which somehow surprised him.  
He had imagined something pink and cushion-y, with mirrors lining the walls. _

_Lyria set her flowers on the sink so she could douse Fenrys' shirt. She rubbed the specks of clay from_  
her face, leaving streaks of blood in their stead. She grunted, rubbing at the blood with her hands,   
then realized her hands were also covered in mud. 

_Rowan stopped her, "Wait here. I'll get you something."_

_He sprang from the washroom, barely catching Lyria's twisted expression._

_It was lucky it was Break because otherwise, he would have collided with another ten students in his_  
haste to the dorm. When he reached his bed, he dropped to his knees- ignoring the jarring pain, he   
flung open his trunk, grabbed a clean towel and sprinted out the room. The common room shook   
when he landed the jump of the last seven steps. 

_Lyria's eyebrows were still raised when his side slammed into a stall. His arm held out the towel for  
her._

_"You know, an extra minute covered in dirt wasn't going to kill me."_

_He allowed himself to pant once more, "Yes, but- " she took the towel from him, "I just like to see how  
fast I can run."_

_She mouthed a small 'O' and turned away to dampen the towel's edge._

_He took a step closer so he could see her features._

_To keep his fingers from tapping on the stone he laced them together. Lyria's eyelashes were dark_  
and long- though he doubted she was wearing any makeup. He followed the curve of her up-turned   
nose to her lips, just noticing she still had dots of mud there. 

_Rowan cleared his throat, "You still have some dirt on your cheeks."_

_She looked up into the mirror, rubbing at her skin again, her stark eyebrows scrunched together,  
"What do you mean?"_

_He pointed at one of the specks, "There."_

_Her hazel eyes darkened, and she shifted to glare at him, "Those are freckles."_

_Swallowing, he snatched his finger away, "Oh."_

_Lyria looked down, paused, then returned to trying to get the stains from her blouse._

_"It's not that your freckles look like dirt." he clarified, thumping his fist against his thigh._

_She gave a shallow nod._

_He bit his inner-cheek, his ears felt hot, "I-I think they look cute."_

_"Can you just be quiet?" she hissed, her eyebrows arched and her lips thinned. Somehow making her  
look... striking._

_Lyria didn't notice him staring, too preoccupied with the same splatter she had been rubbing for_  
minutes. All she had been accomplished was drenching her shirt. The stains would need soap to be   
removed. 

_"Maybe you should just go change."_

_"We don't have time, classes start in five minutes." she clenched her teeth, her hand moving quicker._

_"So? Just skip it. You're covered in mud."_

_Lyria spun to face him, waving his dirty towel at his face, "And whose fault is that?" She grated at the  
splotch more, "I'm not like you, Rowan Whitethorn. "_

_"Herbology is next, and I like Herbology. I'm not some entitled, arrogant child whose parents have_  
enough galleons that it doesn't even matter how well I do in school because I'll inherit a fortune. And   
never have to work." She took a deep breath, "I like to learn- and I need to learn if I'm to achieve   
anything in life." 

_His brows lowered, she didn't know shit, "It's only mud. It's only one class. And it's only second  
year."_

_Lyria scoffed, "For you."_

_"School is important for me too," Rowan grunted, crossing his arms._

_She brushed the hair from her face, "Still, you're good at it. You're just one of those people who  
doesn't do anything but, somehow, are unnaturally good at everything" _

_Rowan arched a pale brow._

_She shook her head, "It's hard to ignore it when every time we get reports back you and your friends  
brag about doing it at one in the morning and still getting a top grade." _

_He bared his teeth,"You're good at Herbology."_

_She looked at him, "Because I love it and spend weeks on my papers."_

_"Well, I'm dreadful at it- I'm going to fail." he scratched his arm._

_Lyria still looked at him like he was a brat whose biggest struggle was choosing between caviar or_  
gold infused Museli at breakfast, "I doubt your Mum and Dad will care if you do poorly on one   
subject." 

_He held her gaze, "If you're going to attack my personal life you should know my parents are dead."_

_"And I have to get top grades- in all subjects -if I'm to inherit their money."_

_That made her look away. Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip, the hand holding the towel dropped to_  
her side. They stayed like that for an eternity, her fingers tracing the Whitethorn crest embroidered   
in the towel she held, Rowan looming over her. 

_She looked at him under her lashes, "I... I could help you with Herbology if you want."_

_His mouth parted, but she cut in, "I spend most of my time studying it anyway- that's why I was in_  
the Forbidden Forest picking Rhododendrons." his face scrunched, "The wildflowers." She waved the   
pink flowers, "These." 

_"You would do that?" he asked, eyebrows flicking up, "After I knock you over, covered you in mud,  
and make your nose bleed?"_

_"Hey it's only mud- and blood... and a bit of pain."_

_A broken chuckle fell from him, then Lyria gave him the closest thing he had seen to a smile, "It's a  
plan?"_

_Rowan nodded, head cocked to the side, eyes bright._

_She ran a hand through her hair, "We'll figure it out during lunch."_

_"Yeah, that sounds good." it came out soft. He hadn't meant it to sound soft._

_Frowning down at her blouse, she twisted her arms behind her back, "I'm going to take your advice.  
I'll go change uniforms."_

_Rowan nodded, watching her glance between him and the door, her fingers digging into her arms,  
redness spreading from her cheeks. _

_She sighed and let her hand lower, looking at the crest for a moment longer. Lyria's head raised,_  
then her arm extended to hold out his towel for him. Her face was drawn and calm, eyes clear   
enough he could see flecks of yellow and green. 

_"I didn't realize your parents had passed."_

_His brows twitched at 'had passed', nobody had ever worded it so cautiously, but he offered a smile,  
taking the towel from her "Let's just say we're even."_

_A grim smile stretched on her lips. She murmured almost too softly for him to hear, "Yes, let's."_

_They left the washroom. Rather than part ways he stopped her by grazing her hand. Her eyes darted  
around the empty hallway. _

_Rowan smirked, "I was being truthful when I said your freckles were cute, Lyria."_

_Her eyes widened, in them, he read an odd muddle of exasperation and surprise. She lifted her chin_  
then scampering off, still twirling the flowers between her fingertips, littering the floor with pink   
petals. 

o-0-o

Rowan choked on air, his chest concaved, seeing nothing but darkness- still Lyria's soft face   
burned into his pupils, into his mind, his heart. He fumbled in the dark for the envelope beneath   
his bed. The paper was cold under his fingertips and his heartbeat slowed. He hung off the bed   
frame to get closer to the letter. 

It was the last note she had written to him, and the envelope held the first flower she had ever   
given to Rowan. It had long since wilted, died, dried, and crumbled into dust- but it still had its   
smell. 

Lyria had been constantly around wildflowers- especially the pink ones, or Rhododendron she   
taught him- so blossoms didn't smell like blossoms to him anymore, they smelt like Lyria. 

Rowan hated flowers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \-----  
> My apologies for taking so long to update. I've been working on this chapter for a while, mostly because I was unhappy with the original, hopefully, this is better. I also am figuring out a lot of the plot. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	13. Hogwarts AU (Part 13)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long. I've had this giant school project for all of the year that is just beginning to come to an end. This was written in sections probably months apart from each other, and I wanted it to be the perfect comeback but it's not. I hope you still enjoy it and I promise there will be more coming in the following weeks.

For someone who had fallen thirty meters, Aelin didn't look half bad- or bad at all. The only remnants of the incident were the ace bandages coiled around her arm.  
Fenrys could still hear her bones snap and her shriek cut across the field. 

Guilt coiled at the bottom of his gut, he couldn't even look her in the eyes as he asked, "They had to wrap your arm?"  
A lock of golden hair fell, brushing her cheek, "Oh, no- " she pulled up her shirt sleeve, "It's just for my wrist."  
The fireplace flickered, dimming the entire room. He stepped closer to her, his eyes darted to her in question, she nodded. Fenrys took her hand by the fingers, rotating it slowly, careful not to apply any pressure.

"I couldn't bare drinking any more of that vomit inducing Skele-gro," she murmured, "It's only a fracture, she said it would heal within days," she sighed. "Plus it's an excuse for me to not write notes."

"I'm sorry."

Her softly gleaming lips tugged upwards, " Stop saying that- It's okay, I forgave you the second time you apologized."

He let her hand drop as his eyebrow rose, "Not the first?"

The glint in her eyes was so bright must have been from the starlight outside, "Well... you did knock me off my broom."

He had to bite his cheek to keep from apologizing again. Trying his hardest to be subtle, he looked her over, it was an everyday uniform- yet Aelin knew how to unbutton, open, and shorten a few things to make it look good. He should have worn a tie. His plain Hufflepuff robes were bland in comparison. 

Well, if the night went well, he would get the chance to unbutton some of his own buttons. And hopefully a few more of hers. 

"Sorry-"

Aelin pointedly quirked her eyebrow up.

_"I mean-"_ He cleared his throat "It's _too bad_ our first date is us sneaking around the castle."

Her boots clicked on the stone as she led him down the corridor, she looked over her shoulder, _"First?"_ She slowed down enough for him to catch up, "You say that like you plan on more."

The challenge in her voice made him smirk, "Well, I did _knock_ you off your broom. It's going to take more than one dinner to make up for that."

"That matters how good this 'date' is," she fired back. 

They walked through the passageway, eyes of the portraits tracking them. 

It was a massive relief that she was talking and toying with him. Seconds before he had left- after convincing him not to wear a tie- Lorcan had warned that Aelin was a bitch and that she probably only agreed to go on the date to brag to her friends and for free food. But she acted the opposite, she seemed nice and forgiving- so forgiving if Fenrys could just avoid thinking about the image of her falling, he didn't even feel that nauseating guilt he had been brewing in for the past days. 

The only hitch was that she walked quite fast, and though he appreciated the view from behind... he wanted to gauge her expressions.

"Good point, I'll dial back the charm so you have something to look forward to..." he reached for her good hand and pulled her closer, "let's say," he pretended to think about it, "next Saturday?"

"Oh- sorry, I can't," she looked down at where his hand held hers, "I have O.W.L.s in three weeks."

That was a minor blow to his confidence, even though he was eighty percent sure it was a valid reason and not an excuse because she hated him for what he did.  
"Yeah," he unlaced his fingers from hers, "forgot about that." 

He looked up, expecting her to still be looking at the ground, but she was looking at him- kind of like he was a lost puppy. "But if once you're procrastinating, why not do it with me?"

"I'll keep that in mind."

The dismissal would have stung if it weren't for the amusement dancing in her eyes and her gentle smile.

Fenrys dipped his head, "C'mon, I want to take you somewhere."

o-0-o

"I hear from Chaol that you are quite well versed in Hogwarts’ secret passages." 

Smiling ear to ear, Aelin skipped to catch up with him, "Yes. I've tried my best."

He grinned down at her, "Have you heard of the one on the seventh floor?"

Her brows scrunched, searching through the files of schemes and tricks in her mind, "The one behind the suit of armor?"

"No," he pulled her down the right hallway, "but you'll have to show me that one."

It was an open corridor, the window lining the walls were paneless- finally, there were no more whispers and shushes from paintings. The summer air had turned cool in the night. 

Aelin hugged herself in her thin shirt.

He tugged at his wool robe, swinging it off his shoulders to drape it around her. Despite how her step faltered as she looked up to roll her eyes, she tugged it closer to her lithe frame.

Fenrys wasn't sure if it was intentional but she walked close enough to him that when his arms swung pass her, it would just brush her hip. 

The rustling of leaves from meters below them filled the silence.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, looking at the stone. 

He paraphrased, "To the seventh floor. To the secret passageway."

She nudged him with her shoulder, "Of course, but where does said secret passageway lead?"

Fenrys ducked closer to her, "That depends on you."

Aelin stopped, forcing him to turn and look at her face, she cocked her head, eyes narrowing to slits.

"Don't worry, it's just around the corner," he offered his hand. She took it.

They rounded the corner, Fenrys stopped and Aelin fell into line next to him. She scanned the hallway for it, creeping forward carefully now that they were around portraits again. 

"Where is it?" she hissed, retreating closer to him. 

"Okay," he grabbed her shoulders and swivelled her towards him, "So, I swear I'm not crazy"

She grimaced, "Oh great, I always love what comes after that."

It was his turn to roll his eyes, "Just do what I say."

Aelin sighed through her nose but didn't object.

"Okay, close your eyes."

With a little hesitation she did, yet he suspected he was peering at him under her long dark eyelashes, "If you are gone when I open my eyes- or you kiss me, I will punch you so fucking hard." 

Fenrys chuckled under his breath, "Imagine the perfect first date-"

"That's cheating." 

"Or just where you would be if you could be anywhere... but not like a specific place, like a type of place... Never mind, just go back to the first date thing."

He grinned, "wait for it," he took her wrist, "Okay, do you have it? Make sure you know the location and what you would need for it."

Aelin hummed, "Yeah, got it." 

"Good," he started to pull her down the hall, "You can open your eyes but you need to one-hundred percent focus on your perfect date"

Aelin nodded and started staring at the ground with a glassy expression. 

Fenrys guided her across the corridor, then back, then back again.

When they turned the third time, a door had appeared opposite that ugly tapestry he had tried to hide behind in the third year. He shot a look at Aelin, but she was still looking at her shoes. 

"Aelin," he tugged on her sleeve, "you can stop focusing now."

She looked up, her curtain of hair shifting away from her face. At first, she surveyed the hall, then she did a double take, her eyes widened "That door wasn't there..."

Smiling back at her, he brought her forward, "Before we open this door, I need you to promise me something." 

Unable to take her eyes off the door, probably because Hogwarts' secret passages had the annoying habit of disappearing, she asked, "What?"

"Promise me that your ideal first date did not involve a play dungeon..." 

That made her eyes leave the door, _"What?"_

"Call me old-fashioned, but to me, that's really a second or third date activity."

She scoffed, "What gives you the idea I would- be interested in that?" 

They had frozen in their path to the door, "I don't know, maybe it's because I've played Quidditch with you and I know how rough you like to get." 

Her mouth gaped open, "Oh really, does that mean you like knocking out and breaking women's bones before you sleep with them."

His shoulders fell, dragging a hand across his face, he said, "Hey, that was an accident, I swear."

"Well," she straightened, stepping away from him, "maybe all my incidents were accidents as well." 

He widened his eyes, "Wow, your elbow must have some sort of magnetic attraction to Manon's face- you should have that checked out."

"I think you're right- it might be some sort of disease because it seems almost like it's spreading, now it has a magnetic attraction to your face as well." 

Fenrys tried to suppress his laugh, "Fine, you win." 

Her eyebrows lowered and a smug expression etched itself onto her face. 

"Or maybe I was worried because I've just been talking to Chaol too much."

In the dim light, he saw her brows fire up and her mouth drop ajar, _"You bastard."_

Now a fraction of the laugh that would have erupted slipped out at the same moment Aelin shoved him into the door. He didn't even bother stopping himself from crumbling against the door.

Aelin loomed over him, her eyes suspended in mid-roll. 

"No, I'm just kidding," he wheezed, "Chaol is too much of a gentleman to _'kiss' and tell."_

_That just made her scowl more._

_Fenry's laughter had dissolved into a grin. He pulled himself upright by the door's brass knob, "You know, judging from your reaction I think you might actually be into that stuff."_

He flashed his teeth, "Not that that would be a problem." 

She shook her head, perfectly combed slates of hair gliding over one another. 

"Okay, please say something- otherwise I just come off as a dick," he pleaded. 

He saw her lips twitch upwards, little crinkles sprouting from the corners of her blue eyes-- no turquoise eyes...with yellow, like sunbeams splaying out to the border of the iris that contained them. 

"Your eyes... are really beautiful." 

The firelight tinted her skin a flickering reddish gold, but he thought her cheeks reddened. 

"All I was thinking was that you were being really loud and that we should probably enter the room if we don't want to get caught." 

His head bobbed and with the hand behind his back already on the handle, he opened the door, letting her enter. 

He closed it, not yet looking at what she had chosen. 

Aelin's breath caught in her throat. 

_"What is this place?"_

Her voice was no longer hushed, he could hear that hint of a northern accent that she and Aedion shared. 

He turned, the room was lighter, but not by much. There was crackling of a fire, portable lanterns were peppered across the room, projecting a flowing mirage on to the carpeted floor. It was littered with cushions and reading nooks. 

That was all nothing compared to the walls, that went so high he lost sight of the roof, every millimeter crammed with books. Just a mosaic of book spines with teetering ladders climbing up them. And in the center there was a four tier cake resting on a sprawled blanket, dripping in chocolate, coated in chocolate shavings, chocolate roses perched on each level. Fenrys guessed that the theme continued to its core. Laid beside it is a bottle of nettle wine.  
"It's called the room of requirement... the name makes it rather self explanatory." 

He stepped forward. Aelin's profile was drowned in shadow, the light igniting the fire in her stray strands of hair. The flame highlighted her parted and painted lips. There was a softness in her face, the embers of an awestruck burning passion that he never had the joy of encountering on the Quidditch field. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____________________________________________________________________________  
> When I'm writing this stuff, I'm trying to be humorous, and I write stuff and I find it humorous but it really hard to know if it transfers to the readers... and I really, really hope it does.  
> Again, I'm so so sorry for not updating. I was just so busy. And thank you to everyone... or anyone, who came back after all this time.  
> And I 100% promise that the next chapters will come soon and THEY WILL BE BETTER.  
> I have big things planned for this story.


	14. Hogwarts AU (Part 14)

Aelin felt the warm wine pool in her belly, slowly seeping into her bloodstream. It was a warm, lazy, and blissful feeling. Fenrys' knee was just brushing hers on the shaggy blanket they had plopped down on seemingly hours ago. She couldn't remember it moving there. Maybe she had moved...

"It sucks you lost the match... I think we should have had a rematch. It's not your fault you're a good chaser, and, apparently, a good _seeker._ " Fenrys slurred, the room of requirement was silent except for his honeyed voice- sweet, but thick and deep. She could hear his lips part with each syllable. 

Ever since the Ansel had told her- shrieked at her- that they had lost, she had changed the subject every time Quidditch came up. It left her feeling sickly and not because of Ansel's scolding. But the nettled wine made her not care, "Yeah... I don't know what I was thinking when I caught the snitch. I know- I knew, it was a foul. But I just wanted to win so gosh-damn-fucking badly."

Her eyelids felt like lead, she let them droop over her irises. Aelin shifted and stretched, her head falling back, arching her spine forwards. 

Fenrys was following the curve of her body. His eyes had always been dark and striking, like molasses that his pupils melted into, but tonight she swore she could see bronze fog bubbling up, the same color as his tied back hair. 

It must have been the firelight. 

"Any reason why?" he took a swig of the bottle they had been sharing, coating his lips in indigo when he pulled it away, "Or just regular Ashryver competitiveness?" 

Her eyes tumbled down his throat and chest, to the stack of books she had collected them to bring back to the common room from the shelves encompassing them, "A little more than that."

He didn't have to say anything to urge her. His attentive stare, now on her eyes despite the wine cloud that floated over both of them, told her that he cared and wanted to know more. 

"Don't tell anyone," she leaned forward, so she could smell the sweetness in his puffs of breath, "please." 

"I won't," he promised. 

"Aedion..." Just saying his name made her want to throw up, break out of the castle, and sprint back home to him. 

"He left to see his mum, who's really, really ill," her waterline began to flood. "And his only request before he left was that I won the match against Hufflepuff- you. So when he came back we could win the cup together."

Tears threatened to overflow and streak her mascara. 

"And I failed him."

Calloused finger pads pattered up Aelin's arm, then ran down to her hand knotted in the blanket.

"Lin, you didn't fail him," he murmured, he had leaned closer to hold her hand. "Or at least you losing the match didn't fail him, you worrying about it so much is failing him..."

She tilted her head up, only now realizing their noses were close to bumping, "What?" 

"Aedion didn't ask that of you because he wanted to win the cup, _again._ He asked you because he wanted to keep you preoccupied and fool you into thinking you were helping him. He asked for it because he didn't want you to hurt and worry."

Aelin said nothing.

"Apparently he fooled you too well-"

"No," Aelin cut him off, "I fooled myself," she gazed at the spines of the books behind Aedion, not even bothering to read the titles. The gaps she had left were magically filled. "I knew what he was trying to do."

Fenrys was, for the first time that night, not looking at her. His broad shoulders had concaved on each other, he was chewing on his bottom lip. His gaze fixed on his hand that enclosed hers. 

"You love each other very much, don't you?" he whispered, he looked away from his hand, back to her. 

Aelin felt a twinge of guilt, she had heard a lot about Fenrys- but never about this- about his insight and quiet kindness. He was discussed so often and it had never been more obvious that none of those people knew him.

"Of course, you know how it is with family, you love each other no matter what," her body relaxed. "When I was younger I use to wish me and Aedion were twins, that way he wouldn't be able to pull the 'I'm older' card and I could've gone to Hogwarts with him."

Aelin looked into his eyes, looking for the glimmer at the hint of a mention of his twin, the same shimmer she felt from thinking about Aedion.

Instead, she found his brows furrowed, face lined with... pain.

"Fenrys?" she questioned, some of the alcohol's haze clearing, "Is something wrong?"

He withdrew himself completely and clawed at his face with his hands, inhaling desperately into his palms. For a second, he took his hands away, and she thought it had just been a momentary lapse of tiredness or drunkenness. His features once again smoothed and sculpted into a marble statue. His brow twitched and his visage shattered again. Fenrys didn't bother trying to hide it this time, he hunched over and let his head fall limp. 

Aelin didn't know what to do, but with his blond hair tumbling from its tie, and cascading over his face- he looked like Aedion. 

She got to her knees and crawled up beside him. After a moment passed she opened her mouth, suddenly aware of how dry her throat felt, "Fenrys... "

"I'm sorry."

She glanced sidelong at him, "For the fall?" she raised a brow, "Fenrys, I was just playing with you, I know you didn't do it on purpose. It's not your fault."

"I meant for what I'm doing right now..."

Aelin mouthed an 'O'.

"But thank you," he said.

"What exactly are you doing right now?"

"Making a fool of myself on a date," he sighed, bringing his head up. "Aelin, trust me, you don't want a twin."

"Is something going on between you and Connall?" 

"No." The word was shallow but his tone connoted an ocean of depth.

Aelin waited for him to continue, "That's the problem." His fists clenched and unclenched, "When we were really little we were inseparable because we only were around each other, and then we got older and we fought every day-"

"Why?"

"- because everyone compared us. And I was always the loudest so I got the attention- which made him mad."

Aelin lay back onto the blanket, propping herself on her elbows, "If it made him made him so mad maybe he should've been loud as well."

Fenrys didn't look towards her, but from his profile, she saw the corner of his lips draw back. Now that he was speaking he didn't look nearly as tortured, but his chest still heaved, "I don't think he realized that was the reason I got all the attention- I'm still not sure if he realizes. He believed people considered me the better twin."

Aelin nodded intently. 

"When we got our Hogwarts acceptance letters, I remember dreading the homework but looking forward to playing Quidditch. Connall was ecstatic, it was the first time I had seen his smile last more than a few seconds."

Fenrys' eyes slowly traced the patterns of the blanket, back, and forth- like reading from a book he had mulled over for years, memorizing every word, but never been able to recite aloud. 

"And then, the day we were to leave, I woke up in the middle of the night, because he was whispering to himself. It sounds strange but it wasn't unusual, he would always read late into the night and sometimes I think he forgot I was there and would start reading out loud. That wasn't what he was doing that night, though, because there was no light for him to read by. He was sitting against his bed frame, his hands clasped before him-"

Aelin's face scrunched, creating a deep wrinkle between her brows, "Was he _praying?_ " 

Fenrys nodded, "Yeah, though I have no idea to who- I guess anyone who would listen."

"That's a very... muggle thing to do."

"It is. He probably got it from a book he snuck in because our parents would never have allowed him near a muggle church." 

"Did you hear what he was saying?"

"Yup," his head bobbed, "He was repeating _'Please sort Fenrys into a different house than me,'_ over and over." 

Aelin grimaced, the firelight danced on his now gleaming eyes. 

"I wasn't stupid, I knew we were different- if not the opposite, I knew we weren't going to be in the same house. I thought I would be in Gryffindor and him in Slytherin." He smiled knowingly for a second before it faded, "Hearing him begging for it, to gods he didn't even believe in- hurt."

"I can imagine," 

She didn't know what else to say. 

He finally moved, tossing his hair back over his head and bringing his knees up for his arms to rest on.

"What did you do?" 

He shrugged, "Nothing. I was sorted into _Hufflepuff,_ " his tongue coated the house's name in disdain, "and he was sorted into Ravenclaw- which gave him the ego boost he needed to emerge from my imaginary shadow." he sniffed, "Now we never speak unless he deems it necessary."

"Connall thinks he's better than you because he's in Ravenclaw?"

Finally, Fenrys looked down at her, and she felt like she could move freely again. He cleared his throat, "No, I think he thinks I'm _worse_ because I'm in Hufflepuff- and, believe me," his gaze darkened, "it's not just him, it's my father and mother, it's Maeve-"

She rose to sit on her knees, "Who's Maeve?" 

He froze, his mouth still parted, "I thought Rowan might have told you-"

She snarled, "Rowan doesn't tell me shit. I don't know what he _tells you,_ but we aren't friends." 

Just the mention of that bastard's stupid name had stirred ashes in her, and her mouth shaping around its syllables full on ignited the deceased flame. 

She was still scowling when she heard Fenry's chuckle, her head snapped to him, _"What?"_

The spited boy she had heard moments earlier had retreated back into him, leaving the shining embodiment of seizing each moment. His open mouth released silent laughter that caught in his throat.

_"What?"_ she barked. 

"What did he do to get under your skin so badly?"

She looked away, instead focusing on picking out dirt from under her painted nails, "He's just generally a massive dick."

Fenrys smirked, humming to himself, "I've seen this before, one day you hate him, the next you'll be riding..."

She cocked her head, daring him to say it.

"that massive dick." he finished. 

Seething through her teeth, she turned and debated clubbing him on the head with the empty wine bottle between them. His body tensed, waiting for her to retaliate. Miraculously, she found the control, even in her drunkness, to keep her hands to herself, "You've seen that happen before?"

Fenry's broad shoulder's slumped in disappointment, but his smile loosened, "Loads of times, I think it's his signature move." 

She swallowed, suddenly not so keen on looking at Fenrys, any interest she had on talking more about Rowan she washed down with a swig from the draining long-necked bottle, "Who did you say Maeve was again?" 

Fenrys mood shifted again, back to a darker place, "she's no one- just a family _friend_ " 

He said it as if the words scalded his throat. A theory began to form in her mind, maybe she was an older, forbidden lover- no- she shook her head, making her skull pound. She wouldn't be like the doe-eyed gossips in her class, she wouldn't concoct a dramatic past for Fenrys. 

Fenrys huffed a defeated laugh, "I promise I'll stop being so angsty in a second," his hands were wrapping themselves in the blanket, tugging mindlessly at its tassels, "but do you ever think that the sorting hat puts us in the house that is what we need to be, rather than what we are?" 

She pursed her lips, rolling the memory of her sorting over in her mind. She could remember her and the sorting hat's exact words.

o-0-o

_Bright, but not bright enough for Ravenclaw. Too selfish to be a Hufflepuff,_ it muttered.

_Gryffindor,_ she had thought. 

The ragged hat had shushed her, _Certainly sly and ruthless enough to be a Slytherin._

_Gryffindor!_

_As arrogant as one,_ it had silenced, a low, pondering hum echoing between her ears, finally it had whispered, _You are no coward when it comes to your family- but I think if it was for friend or foe, you would run scared, girl._

She had clenched her teeth and little fists, wrinkling her new, pristine robes, _Gryffindor,_ she seethed. 

_Slytherin,_ it answered- but still did not speak it out loud. 

_No._

_Why, little witch?_

_I want to be with Aedion._

_You have cunning you have ruthlessness-_

Her heart sunk all the way to the seat of the stool she teetered on. 

_You have ambition- but not from desire, not Slytherin ambition. Your ambition stems from a sense of duty and honor. Maybe you can learn to be brave for all._

"GRYFFINDOR!"

o-0-o

"I still think I should have been a Gryffindor," 

Fenrys' words brought her back to the present 

"but I definitely didn't need more confidence. I did need to be loyal and kind."

He slumped backward, splaying out on the soft floor. His button shirt untucked from his pants, revealing a triangle of tanned skin, "What about you?" 

"I think its probably a mixture of both. I don't remember how you were when you were younger but I find it hard to believe that your kindness and loyalty wasn't always there." 

He shook his head, hair spilling out to create a halo on the floor beneath him, "What kindness or loyalty? I'm not saying I don't have any, but what have I shown to you?"

She needed no time to compile the list,"You apologized profusely for something that was an honest mistake. I still haven't decided if using the room of requirement was a massive cope out for a date or really sweet and caring, but it's fun nevertheless. You consoled me about what's happening with Aedion," she chewed on the side of her cheek. "And this is just a general thing, so many people gossip about you but I've never heard you say one ill word about your friends or twin- or anyone."

He smiled gently, it softened his chiseled face- and nudged her spirit a little higher to know it was her words that had put it there. His eyes fluttered closed, "Maybe you should have been in Hufflepuff, you're way too kind."

She stared down at him. He had a thin scar down the left side of his lip, sunken cheekbones that without his smile made him look hollow. Fenrys' eyes sloped at the far corners like they were weighed down by the thick lashes lining them. 

"I'm sorry," she admitted, fiddling with her cuffs. 

He cracked open an eye, "For what?" 

"For how people talk about and treat you."

Both of his eyes flicked open, body and face falling into cool indifference.

She brushed her hair behind her ear, focusing on the waves twining with her fingers, "But mostly for believing them."

His voice was gruff and worn when he finally said, "So you thought I was an airheaded fuck boy?

The seriousness, or rather the lack of his usual humor, made her heart jump. She didn't want him to hate her- or him to feel bad. 

Aelin opened her mouth, paused, then sucked in a breath, "I thought you were," she stumbled over her words, "a young man- focused on Quidditch, fire whiskey, and... the opposite sex."

He flexed his feet, "Thanks for the distinction, and I am those things."

She took the moment of silence to carefully plan what she would say, "Yes, but you're more- more than I know, this is the first time we've ever really talked. Ironically, you kind of have a subdued personality; but I think because your humor and-" she swallowed, "attractiveness are so in your face people don't give you the benefit of the doubt. They see you in the halls, talk to you once, and think they know you inside out."

He stayed on the floor for a moment before sitting up, a speck of lint clung to his hair. With a broad hand, he stroked his jutting chin.

"That makes a lot of sense," he met her hesitant eyes and smiled grimly. "Thank you for saying that, but I won't say I forgive you because there's nothing to forgive you for. Especially because I had my own ill laid assumptions of you," he looked away, maybe feeling the same shame that was just beginning to evaporate from her, "I thought you didn't give a shit about anyone who wasn't yourself." 

His Adam's apple bobbed, "I was wrong." 

The Hufflepuff offered her a grin that Aelin returned. 

Fenrys would've been so easy to love. For a fraction of her blink, right before her lashes met, she swore his hair shone silver and his eyes were peppered with pine green. It was gone before it had come, leaving her with a void in her gut despite the liter of wine and four tiers of cake she had scarfed down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ________________________________________________________________________________  
> Hope you enjoyed! This chapter was less fun and more focused on character stuff, but hopefully you found it gripping anyway!  
> Tell me your thoughts in the comments about the new synopsis of ToG7 and on the revealed titled: Kingdom of Ash.


	15. Hogwarts AU (Part 15)

A groan crackled through Lorcan sleep. He re-emerged from his dreams, suddenly aware of his breathing and how a fold of the bed sheet was digging into his back. Fabric rustled to his left- from Rowan's bunk. In the complete silence of the night, Rowan thrashing off his blanket sounded like a roar. Lorcan scowled mentally, still not awake enough to express it on his face, couldn't he be more considerate in his rush up to take a piss?

The rustling faded, replaced by gasps cut by trembling exhales. The shakiness of Rowan's breathing reverberated through the mute castle, Lorcan could feel that shuddering echo in his bones.

Lorcan cracked open an eye. Everything was black; the heavy quilt he had kicked off before falling asleep was awkwardly bunched under his feet. His mattress was swallowing his body- he had to fight against the urge to roll onto his stomach lest he remind Rowan of his presence.

As the black void slowly dissolving into his peripheral vision, shapes and shadows of the fabric folds and bare feet that reached all the way to the end of the frame began to form. No light seeped through the crack of the emerald drapes by his head. 

Lorcan drew his hand from his side, wincing at its hiss. 

From outside his shrouded canopy, mattress' springs whined, followed by a soft thump and the sound of sweat-drenched skin peeling off the smooth stone floor.

With a long index finger, Lorcan drew his drapes apart, allowing a sliver for him to see across to Rowan's bed. 

Usually, they had a small fire near the door that illuminated the entire room, making the curtains around their four-poster beds essential; however, summer had ascended on them in full force, trapping them in killing heat, so the fireplace remained unlit. All except Lorcan slept with their drapes thrown open. He'd rather endure stewing in a stuffy box, the atmosphere a muddle of his expelled breath and evaporated sweat, than wrestle all night with the suspicion eyes were watching him or that someone was going to stab him as he slept.

The sparse moonlight fluttering through the window was all Lorcan had to see by. There was a weak silhouette of a shirtless Rowan, sitting on the edge of his bed, created by the moon's highlights on his bare skin. His cropped silver hair reflecting the starlight was sticking and spiking out in all directions. As he bent to reach under the bed frame, Lorcan could see the glowing mass bob down. Hinges squeaked and paper rustled. Then Rowan withdrew. He sat up, holding an envelope in two hands with such delicacy it was at risk of falling to the floor.

Even in the dark Lorcan knew that envelope. It thickened at the bottom like it held more than just paper and was marred with yellowing splotches. Being a muggle envelope, it had no wax seal or family crest; instead, it was sealed by glue- but that had long since dried, shriveled, and flaked by now. 

Two years ago the envelope had been all Rowan could look at with focused eyes. It had never left his hands for those three months and it had never left this room since the day Lyria had given it to him. Eventually, they got tired of waiting for him to get over it, for two weeks Lorcan and Gavriel had dragged him away from that letter every morning. Eventually, Lorcan found there were plenty of fun ways to distract Rowan which meant Lorcan couldn't get out of bed either.

Rowan flipped open the envelope with a tremor fluttering through his fingers to his arms. He stilled. Lorcan imagined he was staring with the same splintered expression he had worn the moments he thought no one was watching: lips parted enough to allow his breath to swoosh out of him, brows knitted together to hold back tears, Adam's apple quivering up and down, all cracks in his icy demeanor that revealed the raw inside. His breathing became steadier but shallow while he traced the name on the envelope. He brought the envelope to his nose. His shoulders heaved then weakly slopped down. 

Lorcan swallowed and stifled a sigh. Rowan hung his head, pressing the letter to his lips and inhaling before reverently resealing it. 

Lorcan pulled away his finger, letting the drape fall to shut himself in shadows again. He didn't close his eyes. He lay awake to listen to Rowan until he was sure he had gone to sleep and wasn't about to stumble out and do anything stupid. 

Lorcan didn't return to deep sleep for the rest of the night, he floated on its surface, constantly jolting awake when his stomach would flip and he would plummet into a bottomless abyss. By the morning his mouth was dry and tasted like a dumpster, his eyelids kept drooping closed against his will. It hurt just to move his eyes to search for fresh clothes. He toppled out of bed, landing on one foot, reaching for his pants then tripping over his shoe and ending up on the hard floor flat on his ass. 

He stayed there, almost falling asleep. The disgusting sensation of his skin sticking to dust and hair on the smooth floor convinced him to finally summon the energy and pull on his pants and shirt. While still on the ground. 

The only person left to witness the struggle was Rowan, but he was lying face down in his pillow and never gave any indication he was watching. Lorcan smacked his dry lips, cringing at how his tongue became drenched in bitter saliva and mucus. He stood up to stumble to the bathroom and brush his teeth. In the mirror, he glimpsed the dark circles under his eyes- barely noticeable in the shadow of his deep brow. He had slept through his daily training with Fenrys and a good ten minutes of breakfast. He exited the bathroom, finally walking straight, to find Rowan still in bed. 

o-0-o

Something hard and edged struck between Rowan's shoulder blades, leaving a sharp pain as the cool, clunky, object fell motionless on his back. His eyes shot open and he whipped around, reaching behind him for it.

"What the fuck?" he snarled, holding the shoe in front of him.

Lorcan towered by the dorm door, scowling down at him. "It's time for breakfast," he sneered.

Growling, Rowan flung the leather shoe at Lorcan. Lorcan's scowl deepened before he darted out the threshold. It hit the open door with a loud smack and fell. 

Rowan rubbed the throbbing, red indent of the shoe's heel. He glanced around the evacuated room, remnants of tired students staggering out of bed were strewed across the floor and drooped over bed frames and lamps. 

Everything was green. 

The drapes, the blankets, the sheets, and the dirty robes and socks. 

He hated green, despised it.

He rubbed his hands over his face, holding them over his eyes.

Lyria always had said she didn't have a favorite color. It made it hell to buy her anything. Then one day, six months or so after they had met- after he had given up asking- she told him her new favorite color: green. 

Green, because of the flowers, grass, and trees she adored and studied with a gleaming, glittering, glowing smile- but mostly because it was the shade of his eyes.

There was a constricting, squeezing feeling he refused to name traveling from the pit of his stomach to his throat. He wanted to sob- felt like he should be sobbing. But there was nothing in him to sob up. 

Lyria had had green in her eyes too, when you got close enough. With flecks of yellow that glinted like gold. She had had big, round eyes with dark lashes that curled up naturally.

He stomped the image down. He needed to get up. And eat. He needed to go to class. 

But in class, he would see Lorcan. Who would gleefully sneak Fenrys' date with Aelin into every sentence he spoke. 

And in fourth period he had double Herbology where he would see Fenrys himself. 

And in the halls, he would probably see Aelin. 

His soul felt like lead, holding him down to his bed. His gut felt hollowed out and he knew food wouldn't fill it. He scrubbed at his tousled hair, clutching his head in his hands for a moment. He didn't want to leave this bed and see them or her, he wanted to stay here and think about _her- Lyria._ He wanted to escape into his memories of her. Rowan even half yearned for the nightmares that had returned the last few days to torment him.

His shoe held the door open the entire day, his clothes stayed folded in the trunk beneath, his sheets remained crumpled beneath him, and Rowan stayed empty. 

o-0-o

Rowan never came to breakfast. Or first period. Or second, or third; finally, when he didn't appear at lunch, Lorcan stalked down to the dungeon, the clicks of his shoes echoing on the cobblestone. He stepped through the portal, turning left and marching up the stone steps to the dorm. The door was still thrown open, Lorcan flexed his hands, preparing to haul Rowan up to the Great Hall. 

When he rounded the corner he saw him, still only in boxers, sitting on his mattress against the wall. His legs are curled to his chest with his elbows rested on his knees, both arms thrown in front of him. Rowan's face burrowed in the triangle they created. 

He hadn't looked up when Lorcan stepped in. He couldn't possibly be sleeping, not in that position. 

Lorcan didn't move or say anything for a second, listening for whimpers or any indication he was crying. Birds were chirping outside and there was faint chatter of students but nothing came from Rowan. 

"How the hell are you still in bed?" Lorcan growled, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Rowan tore his face away from his arms, wincing at the sunlight assaulting the room. 

He shifted, his foot dragging a white sheet across the bed, uncovering the envelope from last night. God, he was having deja vu, if he softened Rowan's face, made his body lither and less muscular, and grew his hair past his ears, it would be the spitting image of two years ago. 

Sickly panic bubbled up somewhere deep inside Lorcan. 

"Fuck off," Rowan smeared a hand over his face, then kept it there to shield his eyes, "I'm just tired." 

"You better get up and go downstairs for lunch, or tonight Fenrys and I will throw you in the lake for the merpeople to dine on." 

Rowan scoffed, "Sure." 

Lorcan glared at him, "Are you coming or not?" 

Rowan glowered at him with numb, flat green eyes, "Probably not. Leave and see."

He gulped under that gaze. Trying to force him out would just piss him off and might make things worse, "You're pathetic." 

Then he left, still holding on to the hope that Rowan would follow.

o-0-o

Rowan never came. The next day, he didn't leave bed again. Lorcan knew that if this continued it could spiral, in the end, Rowan didn't fear him or Fenrys throwing him in the river- there was only one person he feared. One person they all feared. 

During dinner, Lorcan made the trek up to the Owerly carrying his bag. He wrote the letter outside against one of his textbooks to save himself from the stench but grant the secrecy. 

_Dear Madame Maeve,_

_My apologies for this interruption of your busy schedule, you told us to contact you with any concerns and I am very concerned about Rowan. He seems in danger of relapsing into the depression he was in at the beginning of fifth year after Lyria's death. He's been staying in bed all day, missing meals and classes. He's not sleeping well and I believe he's having the nightmares again. I've seen him with that letter from Lyria. To my knowledge, this has only been happening the last two days but I hope that you will be able to stop this behavior before he spirals out of control. I wouldn't be surprised if he has been having these restless nights for longer and I just hadn't noticed._

_I do not know what has triggered this, but I have an idea. The only thing that has changed in his life is that he has recently, in the last month or so, become acquainted with Aelin Galathynius, Aedion Ashryver's little cousin. She's in the year below us and their first interaction was during a Quidditch game where Aelin kissed him. They had had no interaction before that. I suspect Rowan has developed some sort of connection to her but I can't see it being that strong since I rarely see them together and it has been such a short time. It may be important to note that the night this started was the night Fenrys was actually on a date with this Aelin. This whole ordeal with Aelin has resulted in harassment from Aedion, but nothing Rowan can't handle. Aelin herself seems arrogant, selfish, manipulative, and uncaring._

_I trust whatever course of action you deem fit over my own judgment but I believe Rowan should separate himself from the Ashryvers and should return going to classes, especially considering how critical this year is because of our upcoming NEWTS. I believe that you telling him this will be the motivation he needs to do them._

_Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge these concerns and I eagerly await your feedback, til then Fenrys and I will try to corse Rowan out of bed and to the classes but I don't see us being successful by ourselves._

_Sincerely and forever in your debt, Lorcan Salvaterre._

Lorcan sealed the letter with Maeve's crest, scribbling her name on the back in his tight, capitalized scrawl. He entered the Owerly, it was a round, domed, stone bricked room with a roof twice his height and giant gaping holes in the walls where the wind would whip through carrying owls. So basically a glorified gazebo teetering on a 100-foot tall tower. Straw was strewn across the floor, a feeble attempt to cover the owl shit Lorcan was stepping around to get to the far end. he passed an opening, risking putting his hand on one of the stone pillars- he made a mental note to wash his hands as soon as he left- and leaned out to peer down. It was a clear day and he could see dots of students colonizing on the green field at the base of the castle, he could see the low flat-topped mountains lining the horizon. 

A few steps later he found the barn owl. Maeve's owl. The only owl the four of them were permitted to use. It was bland, a plain white coat splattered with dirt... and darker dirt, except on its face, where it was fluffier and flatter, the feathers splayed out like a lion's mane around its head. 

It tracked him with disturbingly intelligent black eyes, reminiscent of his own, as he approached the paneless window it was perched on. The wind blew his hair into his mouth, stinging his eyes. He squinted, feeling slightly uneasy to not have his full vision when surrounded by a flock of birds equipt to claw his eyes from his sockets. Mercifully it at least blew the scent of bird shit away from him. 

The owl stuck out a wrinkled, taloned claw that he tied the note to, not taking his eyes of its own. It stared back, blinked, then hopped off the ledge, disappearing behind the stone. Lorcan jumped to the ledge and stuck his head out the window. The owl freefell several meters before spreading his wings, they billowed as they filled with air and it swooped up and above the forbidden forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ___________________________________________________________________________  
> Hope you enjoyed!!! This took a while because I just couldn't get it to flow how I wanted... hope you enjoyed.   
> Have you guys read ACOFAS? Or Do you plan to? Did you like it?


	16. Hogwarts AU (Part 16)

Aelin hadn't moved anything except her eyes and her hand, to turn pages, for hours. At one point she had been aware of the flame flickering across the parchment, making it more and more yellow the darker it got; now her whole world was the words, she didn't even see them in her handwriting anymore, they were just syllables strung in her mind. 

When Aelin's eyes scanned to the final dot of black ink, she felt the weight of all the potion notes she had had to read slip from her shoulders. Three days left before O.W.L.s, and only transfiguration and charms left to study. 

She peeled her sweat-drenched arm from the table and sat back as the world slowly returned. Her yawn broke the common room's silence as well as the pressure barrier blocking her ears. The cricket's chirping, and the muffled creaks and snores from the dorms above popped into existence.

Her peripheral vision was rimmed with black- before being interrupted by her lantern's light- it faded into a darkness accented in grey light from the moon and stars. 

Thank god, she had been worried it would already be morning. 

Once all the potions facts and theories had crumbled in her mind, and the surge of panic that she couldn't remember the potion she had last studied surrendered to indifference, she felt the hollowness in the bottom half of her gut. 

She needed a distraction. 

Reaching towards the ceiling and fluttering her eyes shut, Aelin stood. 

When she opened her eyes, a tang of nausea raced to the back of them. Her vision blurred, the shadows of furniture uniting to conquer any planes of starlight. The last time she had looked at this room, sun rays had revealed every speck of dust and dirt wafting in the air. Darkness forgave the grime, rendering it invisible. Or maybe the house elves had slipped in and out without her hearing. 

Blinking once wiped away the nausea and fogginess. Aelin stumbled out of the common room portal, and down the spiral staircase.

Her mind slowly churned from O.W.L.s to more important things:

Something unhealthy or healthy? She had been studying all day, she deserved to indulge herself. 

Aelin rubbed her pounding forehead. 

Sweet or savory? 

Always sweet. 

She knocked into a corner. 

"Shhhhh!!"

The voice was right next to her ear, and Aelin almost punched the wall before realizing it was one of the portraits. She bit her lip to stop from apologizing which would only result in more scolding. She walked on, trying to soften her footsteps as she traced her tracks from the night before, and the night before that, down the winding corridors. 

She could have cake... 

Aelin banged into something so solid if it wasn't for the heat it radiated, she would have believed it to be a wall.

"Fuck- sorry," she yelped in a hushed voice.

A chorus of "shush"s erupted from the walls. 

She was pretty sure her face had collided with a shoulder bone... and her hand may have pressed into an ass. 

_Oh god, please don't be a teacher._

Aelin stepped out of the figures' warmth, her heart leaping to her throat. From the height and what she had felt through cotton, it was a man. The shadow of him turned to loom over her. Aelin reached into her pocket for her wand. Her fingers only found wool. 

His hair was ruffled and spiked, silver glimmered faintly on the strands facing the window. 

"Sorry..." she repeated.

In the silence she was scared to breathe or move, aware he could hear the slightest shuffle or hitch in her breath. 

His lips gently popped as he parted them. The sound hung between them. 

Aelin's eyes were beginning to adjust to the light. The Hogwarts uniform's white button-up he wore glowed softly. From his hanging head, his hunched back, and dangling arms, to the foot he rested all his weight on, there was no tension or energy in his pose.

He sighed. It was a weak, shaky thing, deep and hoarse like he hadn't spoken in weeks or he had been yelling the whole day. 

It's strange how even someone's breathing is distinct to them.

"Rowan?" her lips savored the last syllable, drawing it out. 

He grunted. 

Sometimes when you look into a shadow, your brain whispers that it has depth that isn't there, and it sculpts monsters. Other times the depth is there. Aelin hoped this was the prior because her brain had molded the silhouette of Rowan's face into one of pure hatred. 

She waited for him to say anything, to confirm or deny what she thought she saw. He made no noise, even his breathing was mute. In the silence, Aelin's sounded like gasping and her heart like horses' hooves. 

Finally, he made a sound. The sound of feet padding on stone as he walked away. 

The squirming in her gut only worsened once she realized that to continue to the kitchen, she would have to follow him. In ten paces there was a cross-section, hopefully, there their paths would diverge. 

After stalking through a square of starlight projected onto the floor- revealing he wore no robe or shoes, only slacks, and an untucked shirt- he was consumed by darkness. Twenty footfalls and then they muffled to a point they could have been the crickets. 

It was then Aelin proceeded, the silence she was buried in feeling increasingly more like the carcass of something she had lost. 

o-0-o

Light from the iron chandeliers above assaulted Aelin's eyes. Before they could adjust, she felt a hard tug on her skirt.

"Ms. Galathynius! How nice to see you!" said a voice high enough to shatter glass and navigate in complete darkness. 

"Hello, Gizmo- and I told you, call me Aelin."

On a human, his voice would make Aelin jam her fists into her ear canals and claw out her eardrums. But on him, it worked. Maybe it was the bat ears.

He swatted at her leg, "Yes, yes. What will it be?"

Gizmo's knobby grey hand dragged her towards the oak doors where the muffled kitchen clatter could be heard. They were thinner and a good foot shorter than the other Hogwarts doors to allow the house elves to bump open with ease. 

"The usual," she replied.

Because Gizmo was only slightly taller than her knee, once he let his arm relax, him pulling her skirt translated to him pulling her skirt _down._ Before she could be pantsed, she tore his fingers from the folds; his head jolted back, she could see her grimace reflected in the sheen of water coating his eyes. Gizmo goggled at his hand hanging limply between them. She encircled his wrist and slipped her's into it. He followed her arm up to her face, blinked, then turned towards the entrance. 

He swung open the door. Despite the raucous, there was a lack of the usual gossip that would often blend into white noise. Once Aelin's shadow fell over them, even the sound of knives, pots, and pans ceased. 

Gizmo let go of her hand and bustled into the swarm of his kind, "CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT CAKE!" he shrieked.

The room fell back into wordless work. Sweat from the ovens gleaned on their foreheads and noses, their hands never lingering or pausing- not even when said sweat dripped into their eyes and mouths. 

The sight of Gizmo pulling out a bar of chocolate, the length of his torso and as thick as his wrist, then dicing it into shreds, choked any protest that jumped up from Aelin's guilty conscience for adding to their work. 

Aelin turned to stroll about, perhaps discover what dinner would be so she'd have something to look forward to. She rounded the marbled counter. Bare feet were splayed on the brown tile. Human feet. She followed the legs up to their face. 

Rowan looked at Aelin like her very breathing annoyed him; she was taken back enough she didn't register the indigo bags under his gleaming waterline, his peeled, bleeding lips, or how his eye sockets and cheeks had sunk.

When she finally did see all of it, the fire was wiped clean off her tongue and from her veins.

His irises had always been striking- the green would jump out at you even in the darkest shadows- yet now, they seemed muted, as if they were slowly muddling with and disappearing into the whites of his eyes. 

They tore into her, demanding a reason for her disturbance or to grant him her absence.

"I-I" Aelin paused, "I didn't expect your feet to be so pale..." It wasn't only his feet, he had completely lost his golden glow.

Rowan's eyebrows lowered as his lips twitched- not like a smile, like he was going to speak but decided she wasn't worth it. 

Aelin waited for that twitch to be reborn, but it never was. He just stared back. 

His pupils shot to something behind her, following it as it approached. Aelin spun on her heel, internally huffing a sigh of relief. 

A house elf, up to Aelin's hip, was shuffling towards Rowan. Her eyes' touched neither of them; even as they stared at the floor, her conscious never seemed to surface. 

The house elf was holding a plate with a two-story sandwich. The bread was a dark brown, sprinkled with oats. It was overflowing with shredded meat. From what Aelin could see, there were no vegetables besides a sliver of limp lettuce between the bread slices. 

Aelin rotated to see the elf as she reached Rowan. Even with him slouched against the wall, he was a good foot taller.

"Is that rye bread?" she asked. She hated rye, far too bitter. 

The elf froze between Rowan's legs, never moving to offer him the plate. He slipped it from her hands. Once emptied they fell. 

Rowan flipped off the top bread slice with a finger, "I never asked for lettuce," his voice was raw, crackly. 

The elf reached for it.

"Don't touch it, _elf_ ," he snapped. 

Her hand dropped. 

Aelin stiffened, "She has a _name."_

Neither of them acknowledged Aelin. He peeled off the lettuce and dangled it a centimeter from the elf's pointed nose. She raised her hand, slower than before, and took it.

The elf stepped back. Aelin threw out an arm, halting her, "Apologize to her, and use her _name."_

Rowan, having eyes only for his food, grabbed his sandwich in one hand and used the other to set the plate between his feet; the elf bent to pick it up. 

"Stop, he can do it himself," she turned back on Rowan, _"Apologize."_

Inhaling deeply, Rowan's shoulders slumped, he lolled his head to look at her, "What's her name?"

Aelin opened her mouth, then shut it and scowled down at him, "Why don't you ask _her?"_

Rowan shifted to the elf, some energy finally animating his features: his lips had drawn, inching towards a smirk. 

"I don't think it can speak."

Aelin stormed the distance between them, she ripped the sandwich away, "If you can't respect them, or show them gratitude, you don't deserve to reap the benefits of their work." 

The smirk was there now, but his eyes remained flat, "It was a joke, sweetheart." 

"Well fuck you." 

When Aelin had torn the food away, clumps of meat had scattered; the elf sank to her knees, crawling on all fours to collect them in the folds of her cloth. 

"She doesn't seem offended, you shouldn't be either." 

Aelin dropped in front of her, snatching them up before she could do any more, "It's okay, we'll worry about it, you can leave if you wish." 

The elf pulled herself up by the counter and scuffled three meters away. Then stopped, turned, and stood, watching. 

Aelin held the scraps in her palm, the grease was seeping through her finger, "You're a shit head." 

She held her trickling hand above him and opened it. 

Rowan jerked away too late and too little, they plopped on his hair and shirt, leaving oil spots and trails as they toppled down. 

"What the fuck?" He brushed his hands through his hair and down his shirt, the chunks tumbled to the floor, one caught in between his fingers which he flung at her, hitting her skirt.

"You deserved it, scumbag." 

He was still pulling shreds from his hair, "Why? I just don't care about names." 

"That doesn't excuse you demeaning her because she's a house elf."

"It wasn't because she's an elf, if she was a human, I would have called her 'girl'"

Aelin just glowered at him. 

"Hell, I called _you_ 'sweetheart' because I couldn't remember _your_ name." 

_That_ made her want to throw the entire sandwich at him. 

o-0-o

That was a lie. He knew Aelin's name. Every time he thought about it he wanted to make sure his lips still remembered how to say it. It was a strange name, after all. Even now it was slithering up his throat.

Aelin, with knotted and fuzzy hair, the missed button on her blouse, paired with the mascara smudged beneath her brow and her enraged expression, looked more like a muggle witch than the Aelin he knew. 

This is what O.W.L.s did to people, he guessed. 

Unless... unless the skipped button was a result of throwing back on clothes in pitch black. Her hair disheveled from fingers running through it, the mascara muddled and smeared by sweat. Avoiding his friends and everyone else at all cost meant he did know how well Fenrys' date with Aelin had gone. He didn't even know if there had been a second or a third in the two weeks since.

He hadn't eaten the whole day, the hunger had been ripping at him from his navel to the base of his jaw, though he didn't feel it anymore. Something stronger had consumed it and was making even the idea of moving his limbs exhausting.

It didn't matter. None of it mattered. 

Leaning forward, he gathered the littered meat on to the plate. He didn't have anything to mop up the grease- he would've used a sock, but he hadn't worn one in days. It made no difference, they would scrub this floor with or without grease. 

He rolled over to brace a hand on the tile and stood, bringing the plate with him. A sigh was forced out with his breath as he straightened and rolled his shoulders.

Aelin was glaring at him, she held his sandwich with both hands in to stop the contents from spilling; however, it was futile with her digging her nails into it the bread. Every ten seconds another meat clump would tumble on to her skirt. 

They were a pace apart, nothing between them besides the sandwich bits around her feet. Aelin watched his pupils like she was waiting for him to apologize or leave. 

The words 'goodbye sweetheart,' rushed up his throat, pulling at his lips, but he couldn't summon the strength to form them. 

He couldn't even nod, the thought of it made his neck muscles freeze and scream their refusal. 

It didn't matter. Goodbyes were pointless when you would see them again.

So he turned and walked away, irked by the sound of his bare feet peeling on and off of the floor and the sense Aelin was assessing him down to his gait. He set the plate on the counter, cursing it for the clink it made. Every sound he created was a disruption that lead judgment to him. 

When he finally exited the kitchen, and all those eyes left him, a fraction of his energy surged back to his limbs. Rowan paced the hallways, perhaps taking a few wrong turns on his way to his dorm. 

He wished the castle would always be like this, dark, empty, and silent. Limitless. He didn't want to wake up to the stinging, burning light, to the crash of students rushing to class, to the eyes. 

But that didn't matter, the earth would spin and the sun and the swarms would come whether he liked it or not. So he would endure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _____________________________________________________________________________
> 
> Hey guys, sorry for the long wait- It feels like I've been saying this every time I've updated in the past year...because I have. For a while it was because I had a massive school project, but now it's just that I've found other ways to quench my thirst for writing, I'm acting as a beta reader for a person's novel and I'm working on my own fantasy novel, so I use this more as practice for those than my main project like before. I'm not saying I'm giving up on this story by any means, just explaining my situation. Thank you to everyone who as kept coming back despite the wait and especially for those who comment, it really encourages me to continue. And I will be trying to update more, practice makes perfect and all that stuff.   
> As for my writing, there was a time in this story I would just crap a chapter out and at least in my mind, it was smooth and entertaining. I realize now many of those were rather substanceless... but they seemed more fun. Now I've gotten to this point where I've written this entire chapter and read through it- and I'm trying to be more serious and attentional about my writing- and it's just ehhh. I hope it's just that my standards have improved or maybe I've just read over it too much, and not that I've gotten worse. It feels like maybe my writing has gotten better, but it has gotten less engaging and entertaining. Thoughts?


	17. Hogwarts AU (Part 17)

There were four questions left on charms, all long response. Aelin's eyes only skittered across them before she yawned, dropped her pencil, and buried her face into the crook of her arm. Student's gulps plus her own breaths filled her haven and warmed her face. She lifted her head so her nose cradled in her elbow's crook; if not scribbling, their pencils shuddered centimeters above the printed margins. 

Each minute grated across her skin until the dull ache of boredom became agony. 

"EXAMS ARE OVER. PUT YOUR PENCILS DOWN IMMEDIATELY." Since first year, no matter what classroom she was in she had heard that voice. The castles' thick stone walls did little to muffle it. 

The wave of clatters drowned the "finally" she breathed. By the time they were dismissed Aelin was already through the exit.

Every step more blood circulated, her headache faded with the yawn leftover in her lungs. She squinted and teetered on her toes to see above the student herd. Even so, at the front of the hall, the grandfather clock's hands blended into its face. 

Beneath her line of sight, someone swore. From the sea of black, brown, and blonde, wine red hair bobbed to the surface and surged forward, heads jerked and collided in its wake. 

Aelin's eyes went from squinted to wide. She launched off the wall into a student and darted around the corner and down the hall. Because it was empty, she crossed half of it in ten seconds. 

Then the canals opened. Students flooded, roaring towards her. She squeezed through a pair only to slam into a screeching first year who would've fallen if there had been room. Aelin filled their space, the point the mob thinned to stragglers was in sight. There she could break free. Down the right passage was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, there one of the stalls still had a working latch.

A hand closed above her right elbow and tugged. She froze. Then yanked away. The hand clutched to her and pulled her left, forcing her into a spin when she was knocked from behind into the hand's body. Her nose rammed into a hard chest. Though the tears seeping into her eyes balmed their stinging, it didn't help the blood pooling in her nostril. As she swiped the back of her hand across her nose- there was no blood- she stepped back. Her heel brushed a student, any space around her had been packed. She brought her foot back to its twin. 

Her eyes were clearing, the man's tie-less white shirt filled her vision. All she could notice was how it clung to his sweat glazed skin. She craned her neck up. 

Fenrys cocked his head down at her, hair slipped from his ears, "Why are you running?" 

"I wasn't running." 

The corner of his lips rose with his eyebrows as he aligned his head and shoulders, "That eager to study? No wonder we haven't seen each other since our date."

His eyes picked at her. The hand on her arm had loosened but still held as if afraid she would be swept into the students.

Aelin opened her mouth. Breathed. Then shut it.

The last students flowed past but his grip remained, "Yeah..." 

She was spared by a yelp from behind the corner. Before Aelin could peer past Fenrys, there was another, louder yelp. 

Aelin sucked in her swear in favor of monitoring for more warnings. When she stumbled back and twisted her shoulder to rip away from Fenrys, his grip tightened. Aelin's eyes snapped to his. Before they could meet, he had released. Over Fenrys' shoulder, a pale freckled hand slipped through two third year's arms. It wrapped around one and dragged him behind. Ansel squeezed through and smirked. Her hair stuck out with static electricity, the stray hairs like the trails of embers sparking from her. 

Fenrys had followed her gaze, he turned back to Aelin but she was already on the move. In two strides, he cut in front of her.

He stopped at the intersection, "The Hufflepuff dorm is down the left, I'll show you." 

Aelin wavered right.

"We have butterbeer."

She went left. 

o-0-o

"Why were you running from Ansel?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

Fenrys sat across her in a yellow ball of fluff he called a beanbag- one of the muggle students had brought it from home. Since then they'd replaced all their armchairs with them. 

She could see why.

"How else would I get to know you?"

Aelin gulped so much butterbeer it hurt, "What other food do you have? Any candy?"

"A lot." 

She tried a grin,"Can I have some?"

"You may, once you've answered."

Aelin downed butterbeer to wash away the tang for sweetness on her tongue. The more it warmed, the more it tasted like bile. Its foam trail to the lip mark made the glass appear filthy. Her beer sloshed as she rested it on her thigh, the head fizzled away until a ring of foam clung to the glass. 

Fenrys stared at her, his own mug, headless yet markless, by his feet. 

"You just had the charms written exam, yes? How did it go?"

Aelin bobbed her head once, "Fine." 

His eyes drifted to her beer, "Charms, along with transfiguration, was always my best subject." They flickered back to her, "What's yours?"

"Defence against the dark arts." 

He nodded and took a slow sip of beer. 

"Oh, cool. What N.E.W.T.s are you going to take? I think you would make a good Auror." 

The beans around her tumbled and packed as she shifted to parallel herself with him. She gathered her breath, "Fenrys, for the last month every conversation I've tried to have has dissolved into this. The answer: I don't know what N.E.W.T.s to take and I don't need your lecture or advice. Nor do I know what I want to be. Either say something interesting or don't talk at all." 

Fenrys was somewhere between a grimace and a grin, "Hey, this hasn't been the most interesting 'conversation' for me either." His smile softened, "What do you want to talk about?"

After Aelin placed her butterbeer on the floor, she rested her elbow on her knee. She groaned into her hand, "I don't know." 

"Are you okay, Aelin?" 

Between her fingers, Fenrys watched. Under his drooped eyebrows, each of his blinks was heavy. It was like the butterbeer was crawling out of her stomach, ridding her of its weight and weariness.

The condensation on her hand stuck to her lips. She peeled away from it, "Ansel was probably looking for me for..." she waved her hand, " some sort of 'wellness check'." 

Fenrys' eyebrows raised.

"I don't _actually_ need it."

"Anyone who sprints into students to avoid a wellness check... _needs one_."

The butterbeer splashed back down.

She returned her hand to her face, "So first it was 'running', now it's 'sprinting'?"

Fenrys' smile was a flash in the pan, "Why would you need a wellness check?"

Aelin pursed her lips against her hand. The breath of a chuckle from her nose left her nauseous, "Well, I think she might've thought I'd have a mental breakdown in charms."

"That stressed?"

Her grimace allowed a laugh to clatter out, "No, not quite." She removed her hand to take another swig of beer, "More because I studied 15 minutes before the test." 

Fenrys stilled, "What the fuck Aelin? These are your O.W.L.s!"

Beans rustled as he sat back and brought his palms up to frame his face. He inhaled then exhaled. "I'm guessing you were never planning on doing N.E.W.T. charms..." 

Aelin's glower was disarmed by her smile, "I don't know, I also only studied for an hour for transfiguration." Fenrys shook his head. "My original plan was to get the required grade for everything- then choose when I had the energy. But... I surrendered after finishing potions." 

Fenrys scooted closer and rocked from heel to toes with a disappointed expression. Finally, he clapped, "What do you have next and when?"

Aelin watched his feet with narrowed slits, silently cursing him for the headache spiking clap, "Potions... in two hours."

"And you've already studied for that, correct?" 

She scoffed, "Fuck yeah, it took me two days and two nights."

"Good," he stood, "come, I'm going to help you study for transfiguration, when do you have it?"

She slumped onto the beanbag. 

"When?"

"Tomorrow at 12." she moaned. 

Fenrys presented his hand to her, "Sooner than I hoped but okay." 

Her eyes flicked from his palm to eyes.

His hand extended closer, "You're going to get up, we're going to study until two-thirty, then you're going to review for potions and ace that test. You'll come back, we'll study till ten. Tomorrow morning, You'll come here at seven and we'll study till the exam- don't worry, I'll get breakfast. "

Aelin pushed his hand away but it snapped back, "Don't worry about, I'll deal with it myself."

"Really? Because you haven't." He held her stare and fully flexed his hand, "Just try it until potions."

She glanced around the room: cool, comfortable, and empty besides the kegs of beer.

"Fine."

o-0-o

When one studied transfiguration with Fenrys, only the chapter titles where needed. He could explain a subject better in fifteen minutes than the book in thirty pages. The puns were an added bonus.

Fenrys lay on the floor beside her, his hair in five braids he had done while explaining. He poked the book away with his foot, "Okay, we're a fifth through and," he glanced at the cuckoo-clock above the fireplace "there are twenty minutes left. Time to move to potions." He rolled over, "I'll warn you, I'm not as much help with potions." 

Luckily Aelin remembered most of what she had studied. 

They still had six chapters to go when Fenrys cried,"Shit!" he shot up, "You have five minutes. GO!" He grabbed Aelin's arm and hauled her up, "So will you come back tonight?"

"Yeah, I will." 

As Fenrys edged her around the cushions, she halted. His hands bumped her back, over her shoulder she caught his eyes, "Thank you."

He pushed forward, "My pleasure, now go." 

The door was sepia and half mooned with a circle window at eye level, she turned the knob and glided it open. The outside baked her while the Hufflepuff's tepid air caressed her back. 

She opened her mouth. The words caught in her throat only allowed a shaking breath to escape. 

"Ansel didn't know about me studying fifteen minutes for charms," she gasped

"What do you mean?" 

"Her," her breaths were now labored, "welfare check," she didn't have the energy to lace in sarcasm, "was because she saw I was crying over a letter I got from my family ."

She expected Fenrys to come closer, maybe pat her shoulder. To say 'I'm sorry,' with the too long linger on the 'm' and 'ree'. The way people said it when they had obligated remorse into existence but didn't wish to be burdened or spent the time to console. 

There were no footsteps, just the clock's ticking. 

"What did the letter say?" 

She said the one fact she had processed enough to communicate, "It was from Aedion." 

The cool metal knob was now warm and sweaty, "He said his mother was days from death- and he couldn't stand to stay there with her. Because he isn't cherishing his and her last moments together-" she inhaled, "though she breaths, she's just a corpse in her skin." 

"He says his last moments with her were weeks ago and there was no warning he was spending them or when they had slipped away. So he's leaving." 

"He's not coming back to Hogwarts?" he spoke in a soft yet monotone voice. 

Her hair shuddered with her nod.

Her voice dropped below a whisper, "He says he doesn't want me to write or visit him. And he doesn't know when he's coming back."

"I'm sorry Aelin." 

She nudged open the door and slipped through. 

He hadn't lingered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ___________________________________________________________________________  
> I would first like to say, before I go into my usual scheduled angst, thank you so much for your comments, you were all so supportive and the reason for me trying to push this chapter out this early.   
> Now the angst. Man, this chapter. I went over it so much and I was just never happy with it. So I gave up and this is the result... YAY. Hopefully, the next chapter will be better. I was trying to do this whole building sense of suspicion until the reveal at the end... but I don't think it built if you get me. The suspicion is (hopefully) there but there's not much build.


End file.
